The Ballad of Faith
by writer writing
Summary: Josef Quinn hears about Sister Ruth's faith healing and invites Sister Ruth to Boston to speak on the subject. He also invites the Coles to stay in his home much to Elizabeth's vexation. 1834. AU. Fifth in a series.
1. Chapter 1

Kid Cole and Sister Ruth were riding a train out to San Francisco to spend the winter months there where the mild air seemed to help Kid breathe a little easier. Their train seat faced another train seat where a young lady of some means and a mother with a 5-year-old girl on her lap sat. Ruth and Kid had slept through most of the ride, the gentle rollicking putting them to sleep, but they were now awake and observing the people across from them.

The little girl had just had a sticky bun with her lunch and now it was her fingers that were sticky. Her mother was in the process of wiping them, but the girl reached across the young woman to point out the window the woman was beside. "Look, Ma! Cows!"

The young lady had pressed herself back into the seat as if the child's touch would mean certain death.

"I see them, but it's not nice to point, honey," her mother corrected. "Sorry, ma'am."

The lady said nothing in response.

"Is our cow going to be black and white too, Ma?" the girl asked.

"I don't know. Your pa didn't say in his letter. I guess it'll be a surprise."

"Have you ever had a cow before?" Ruth asked the little girl.

"No, and I'm so excited."

"A growing girl needs lots of fresh milk," Ruth said. "At least that's what my momma always used to tell me. If we didn't have a cow, we had goats and if not goats then a cow."

The girl, who'd lived her whole life in the tenements thus far, was awed that she'd grown up with a cow. "Did you ever get to milk one?"

"Of course. Had to really. It was one of my chores."

"How do you milk a cow?" she asked. "I want to be a big girl and help."

"That's up to your parents whether you get to milk or not, but it's simple really if the cow's ready to be milked and not being ornery. I always kind of breathed on my hands to warm them up; they don't take kindly to cold hands. Would you?"

The girl giggled and shook her head.

"You get a hold of the udder and just kind of pull in a rhythm like this," she said, demonstrating the motion. "Can't jerk on them hard, but you can't do it too gently either."

The girl imitated the motion.

"Not bad," Ruth praised. "You'll get the knack of it quickly enough. I'm sure your pa'll help you and show you how it's done."

The young woman, who'd slowly been losing color during the course conversation, seemed to find her voice at last, "Such things are not spoken of in polite company. I can tell you just got off the farm. Things in the city are different from things in the country. You're going to have to clean up your speech."

Sister Ruth's lips twitched in amusement. "Milking cows is a fact of nature just ask a calf. If there was anything wrong with milk coming from a cow, the Good Lord wouldn't have made it so."

The young woman didn't look as if she quite knew how to refute it, but before she could even try, Kid coughed into his handkerchief, and from the look on her face, she didn't consider that polite either.

The train had finally slowed to a complete stop at some small town in Colorado and the young lady jumped up. Ruth wondered if it was really her stop or if she was just switching to another car. "Thank God I'm just a plain old country girl," she said when the lady had gotten off, "if that's what being a proper city girl is."

"Amen," Kid agreed with a twinkle in his eyes.

_February 1834_

"Mr. Harvey," Josef Quinn said in mild surprise to a patient he hadn't seen in awhile. He hadn't known he was back in Boston. The man asked for frequent consultations for his condition though there wasn't much that could be done, but he paid well for it, so he couldn't complain.

"Dr. Quinn, I want you to take a look at my gout. Tell me if it's really gone." It didn't seem to be as much that he needed an answer as it was that he seemed eager to prove something to him.

"Gone?" He had Mr. Harvey remove his socks and shoes. His mild surprise turned into downright shock. There wasn't a touch of inflammation and Mr. Harvey had just been on a long business trip that should have aggravated it like crazy. Even more disconcerting was that his toes had been slightly deformed as a result of the disease, but they didn't looked look deformed now. He listened to his heart; it sounded steadier and calmer than it had in the past. Had someone out west found a radical new treatment? "Gout just doesn't go away. A simple diet manages it, but being rid of it completely is medically impossible."

"Medically maybe but spiritually not at all. I met a lady named Sister Ruth while I was down in Jackson, Mississippi. She and her husband do a revival circuit. Her husband is some kind of shoot-em up cowboy. Some loon is always trying to take a potshot at him because he has the reputation of being the fastest draw in the west and I guess he must be or he'd have been dead long before now."

Josef cleared his throat. Mr. Harvey had a tendency to get off subject.

"Anyway, getting back to what I was saying. It wasn't just me. I saw her restore people's hearing, their sight, their health through Jesus' name. I might have thought her a charlatan had I not been cured my own self. Didn't work for everybody though. Some just don't have the faith or God's got some other reason for it, she said, but she was something nonetheless. Gave me a newfound respect for faith healers and for God for that matter."

Josef was fascinated. Of course, he believed in God. He worked in a Catholic hospital, surrounded by nuns, though he identified Episcopalian himself. He'd seen the nuns praying over people and he'd seen people make recoveries he couldn't explain, but he'd never heard of anyone so boldly proclaiming the Bible's promises and meeting with such success. "Is there a way I can get in touch with this woman?"

"It so happens I do know how. They said something about how they were going to winter in St. Louis. You could send a letter there and see if it doesn't reach them."

Josef thought about it all day and that night he penned a letter.

_I am eager to converse with you as one colleague to another. I believe you could provide great medical insight to doctors in Boston and would arrange for you to address them. You and your husband both would be honored guests in my home during your stay if you choose to accept this invitation..._


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you for the__ kind invitation__. I'm glad to hear Mr. Harvey is well. We'd be pleased to accept.__Look for us to arrive in Boston sometime in May if the good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise. We'll send a letter ahead of us as to the exact day when we know it ourselves. Look forward to meeting you and your family._

_God bless,  
Sister Ruth_

Josef folded the letter back up. It was confirmed. He had to tell Elizabeth of the plans he'd made. She didn't take it well.

"You invited 2 strangers into our home and not just any strangers but strangers who live in the uncivilized frontier? They're barbaric out there, rustics; they won't know the first thing about how to behave here."

Elizabeth came from an Irish Catholic family, a fact she liked to ignore, because it wasn't a popular thing to be among the bluebloods of Boston, and she hadn't brought a sizable dowry to the marriage either. She should have been the last to look down on somebody, but he chose not to rub all of that in her face. "I know I should have consulted you first, dear, but it's already done."

"Tell them something came up. Think of the children, Josef. What kind of impression will it leave on our girls?"

"It's too late to get a letter to them now. They're good Christian folks. They'll have a favorable impression, I'm sure. In fact, their influence may do us all some good."

"You had better hope so. When did you get so interested in religion anyway? You are a man of science."

"So I am," he said amicably. "Perhaps it's high time I see what those of faith know and stop falling asleep during the sermons."

She didn't even crack a grin at his joke. "So be it then, but don't say I didn't warn you when this experiment of yours doesn't go well."

sss

A month later, he receive the promised letter. He was to meet them at the stable he had suggested to them in his letter, where he was going to pay for their horses' keep.

Though the street where the stable was located was teeming with people, he knew them at once as they stuck out like a sore thumb, Sister Ruth with her simple, some would say unfashionable, dress and Kid Cole with a gun around his waist and a decidedly western-looking hat. He was sure, of course, that lots of other men in Boston carried guns, but they usually weren't carried openly that way.

He approached them. "Mrs. Cole, Mr. Cole?"

"Dr. Quinn?" the lady asked.

"Yes, I'm he. It's a pleasure to meet you both." He shook their hands. "Is everything in order here?"

"Yeah, we're ready," Kid answered.

Josef had his driver load their luggage into the carriage, but Kid helped.

Horse and Grace were their only horses now. Carmel had been left with a kindly farmer, who'd agreed to take her in as a pet for his children. "I miss Carmel, but we made the right decision. She never could've made a trip like this," Ruth said quietly to Kid as he helped her into the carriage.

"She's happy as a lark I know with all those young ones fawning all over her."

Josef made polite conversation with them until they turned onto Mount Vernon Street and stopped in front of number 10; it was a 4 story brick townhouse where a butler opened the door.

His family was lined up in front of the staircase in a neat presentation, almost as if they were a troop presenting arms except that they were more graceful about it. The only exception was the littlest one, who was being held by the maid, and struggling to get down at various intervals.

"This, everyone, is Mr. and Mrs. Cole," Josef said.

"Just call me, Sister Ruth," Ruth added.

"And I'm just Kid if you don't mind."

"Suits me," Josef replied. He started with the beginning of the line. "This is my wife, Elizabeth."

She gave a stiff nod, which Ruth returned with a smile.

"My oldest daughter, Rebecca," Josef continued.

"How do you do?" Rebecca said. She was a girl of about 16 with warm brown eyes and brown hair and seemed possessed of a cheerful disposition as the smile and question both seemed genuine.

"Very well, sister. And you?" Ruth asked.

Although she seemed confused by the term sister, she said. "I'm very well too and pleased to make your acquaintance."

"The next to oldest, Claudette." Her hair was a red color and her eyes a light blue. She gave a nod as every bit stiff as her mother's. She was a only couple of years younger than Rebecca.

My middle child, Maureen." Maureen's eyes were as brown as Rebecca's but her hair was a lighter brown. She only stared at them curiously with big eyes as if they alarmed her, but she said nothing even after both Ruth and Kid gave her friendly hellos to allay her fears. She looked to be around 7.

"This is my next to youngest, Marjorie." Marjorie, who had lovely light-reddish hair and big blue eyes, gave a proper curtsey and was the most ladylike 4-year-old that Ruth had ever seen. Before Ruth or Kid could tell her hello, she snubbed up her nose and remarked, "You dress funny."

Josef looked embarrassed. "I'm so sorry."

"That's okay," Ruth said with a hearty laugh that went beyond the invisible barriers of decorum and made Elizabeth cringe. "You have to appreciate kids' honesty and I reckon we do dress a mite funny for the nicer end of Boston anyhow."

"And this is my youngest, Mike," he said, taking his littlest daughter, who was just over a year old, from the maid and kissing her cheek. He lifted her high and quickly into the air, causing her to squeal with delight.

It was Elizabeth's turn to look embarrassed. "Her name's Michaela." Then she shot Josef a look as if he didn't approve of his roughhousing with her either, which he ignored.

"What an adorable girl and what an adorable nickname," Ruth said, hoping to smooth the tension over a little.

"I would appreciate it, Mr. Cole, if you would remove your weaponry from your waist in my house." Elizabeth said, looking every inch the queen of her domain.

"I'd be happy to, ma'am, if that's what you want, but it wouldn't be wise to leave it laying around the house either with little girls around," Kid said.

"I should say not," Elizabeth replied. "Give it to our butler. He will put it in the safe for you."

Kid handed his gun belt over to the butler.

"Well, it's wonderful to meet all of ya'll. Mrs. Quinn, you have the prettiest daughters I've ever seen," Ruth said.

Elizabeth looked as if her accent was causing her physical pain, especially when pretty came out more like purty, but she said thank you. "Harrison, get their luggage and, Martha, show them to their room." To the Coles, she said, "As soon as you're situated, won't you join us for tea?"

They agreed that they would.

Josef was proud of her. She had strong opinions, but she would never be openly rude. She was a good woman when it came right down to it and one that he loved.

"This way, ma'am, sir, " Martha said in a charming Irish lilt.

"And after the refreshments, I'd like to take you down to the hospital, so you can get acquainted with the staff. If that's okay with you, Mr. Cole," Josef said to Ruth.

"Of course, that's what we came here for," Kid said.

Elizabeth shook her head as the Coles ascended the stairs in disapproval of the way Ruth was attempting to make friends with the hired help by asking them questions about themselves. Their visit was going to be trial, as she knew it would be.


	3. Chapter 3

It was the first time Sister Ruth had ever been in a hospital. The walls were painted a putrid green, but the beds looked comfortable enough though there was not a lot of privacy for the patients unless one could afford to pay for a room to theirself. Nurses and doctors bustled around busily attending to patients. There was an odor she couldn't identify masking the smell of sickness, not the worst smell she'd ever smelled but not exactly pleasant either.

Josef was obviously accustomed to it. "Let me introduce you to the head physician. I know he'll want to meet you."

They found him in the hallway on his way to see a patient, a man with peppery hair and steel gray eyes.

"Dr. O'Neil, this is Sister Ruth," Josef introduced.

"Is she a new nurse here?" Her lack of habit paired with her name confused him.

"Not a nurse, no. A faith healer and a good one from what I've heard."

"A what?" he replied in total disbelief. Josef might as well have said she was a snake charmer or a fairy princess. He wouldn't have looked any less shocked than he did now.

"A faith healer is someone who-" Josef began to explain.

"I know what a faith healer is. What is she doing here? Shouldn't she be off in a church somewhere?"

Josef shot Ruth an apologetic look before responding to Dr. O'Neil. "Remember the speaker we have before Dr. Johansson at the next staff meeting? This is her."

"The Faith in Medicine bit? I thought you were talking about some little, fluffy speech before the main guest speaker; I thought she was a nun, who would be good morale for our nurses here. I didn't think you meant it so literally. I will have to rethink letting her speak. No offense, ma'am." His tone said that he meant offense.

"None taken," Ruth said. "But how else is faith meant to be taken but literally? If you think faith is just intended to make you feel good when things ain't good, a crutch in a world of science, that's not faith at all."

He dropped the semblance of politeness. "I have a man in there who hovers on the brink of death," he said, pointing to the door on his left. "You think you can go in there and just tell him to have faith and everything will be okay? I'll have you know he has been praying and so has his family. What good has it done him so far? If anything at all saves him, it will be medicine."

"I can't tell whether he'll be healed or not; I'm not God. Not all disease is caused by a lack of faith, but then again sometimes it is. I help those whose disease is caused by a lack of faith in their Maker. Sometimes it takes a little sickness for a person to remember the Lord and then they do and they're healed."

He scoffed. "That's all it takes then? I suppose you think doctors and medicine worthless?"

"Not at all, brother. There's verses attesting to using physicians, remedies, and medicines. It's a way He's given us to get His healing because the Lord loves to use people; He doesn't have to, but He does. You also have to keep in mind the verse that goes, 'in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians.' God is still the Great Physician and Healer. Don't nobody get healed without Him, not through me and not through you."

His look became even more sour and mocking. "As much as I enjoy debating with you, I have a patient to attend to, but if he's ready for last rites, I'll let you know."

He all but slammed the door.

"He's a good doctor, but his bedside manner needs work," Josef told Ruth.

"So I see."

"I've scheduled you to speak to them 2 weeks from now if he doesn't change his mind, but these doctors think scientifically, you see. I'm afraid Dr. O'Neil won't be alone in his opinion. You can give them scripture, but that won't be enough for them. They need more."

"They don't believe the Bible?" she asked. She was surprised that a religious hospital, named for a saint, would employ those who were not religious.

"Well, they do, but I guess they just don't take all of it at its word. I'm going to help you with your presentation. Help you to prove your faith healing scientifically. Is that okay with you?"

"The Bible stands on its own, but I believe it holds true when tested too. If we're doing it right anyhow. It should be interesting to see what comes of it."

"Good. Let me introduce you to somebody who I think will be more open to your method of healing."

The somebody was a woman, who was as short as she was squat, but that didn't keep her from having a commanding personality. She radiated leadership if such a thing was possible to radiate even before Ruth heard her say anything.

"Mother Superior, I have someone you might like to meet," Josef told her. "This is Sister Ruth, a faith healer. Protestant, but I think you'll find a lot in common with her. We're going to see what we can do to convince some of the other doctors about what faith can do for the sick, an experiment of sorts if you will. I know my duties will sometimes take me away and I thought you might be able to use her when she's not busy with me."

"Yes, indeed. Do you mind getting your hands dirty, touching blood, excrements, and the like?"

"No," Ruth answered. "I've got a strong stomach."

"You're just what we've been praying for. Sister Mary was just moved to another convent for health reasons and a couple of our novices got married. We could use another pair of hands when you and Dr. Quinn are not working together."

"Well, good. I'm eager to be of service."

After that, he introduced her to more of the staff. Then he spoke to her privately.

"I already have an idea on how to gain some evidence." He gave her a paper with a list of patients' names on it. "That is half of those we have who are sick with influenza. I'd like you to pray for them daily."

"Surely, but what about the other half, who's going to pray for them?"

"Well, no one, but it's just for 2 weeks and then you can pray for them all you want." Ruth looked ill at ease with the idea. "Think of all the lives we can help if you can prove to them that faith makes a difference, that prayer makes a difference."

"I reckon you're right, but that don't make me feel any easier about it." She tucked the paper into her pocket. "God, forgive us if it's wrong."


	4. Chapter 4

Josef invited Kid to his club as Elizabeth was having a get-together with some of her lady friends, and he figured he'd get out of her hair for awhile. Kid saw at once that it was nothing more than a rich man's saloon, a place to drink and smoke and gamble away from the wife.

"This is Dr. Thomas Smith, Dr. Jack Green, and Dr. Alexander O'Neil," Josef introduced the men he normally joined there, "Colleagues of mine. This is Mr. Kid Cole, Sister Ruth's husband."

Kid winced a little but shook all their hands. Was this all that he was in Boston? Sister Ruth's husband?

They sat down in a circle of overstuffed, leather chairs. Josef's colleagues didn't share cases with each other as one might expect but instead told lewd stories of their sexual exploits and conquests. Kid was sure that some of these were fictional intended to impress the other men, but no doubt some of them if not all of them visited prostitutes; it was a common enough vice in their circle.

"But listen to us. You're from out west, right?" Thomas said. "You must have a few interesting stories to tell. I hear the women are looser out there, especially the squaws."

Kid had been silent up until this point, Josef too for that matter. "You're misinformed about that. Women are women, east or west. And no, I don't have any stories to share. I only sleep with my wife. It's a weak, unhappy man who spends time with a strange woman. There's no contentment for him in what he does and I've got no use for such behavior myself."

"You say that," Jack said, the only unmarried one in the group; he looked fresh out of medical school, "but I don't think you know the way they can meet your needs."

Thomas agreed, "It's a lot more fun when the lady knows what she's doing."

"You'd be surprised what I know," Kid said to Jack. Ruth would probably have his head if she knew what he was discussing, but he continued anyway, "And as for fun, we have loads of it and I find it only gets better with time."

"Are we talking about the same woman?" Alexander questioned. "I met your wife at the hospital. She seemed to be nothing more than a nun without a habit to me. You telling me a starchy, pious woman like that is free and easy in the bedroom, looks at copulation as more than fulfilling her wifely duties?"

"Yep, she gets things moving as often as I do and she's as capable as any woman can be."

"Then she's corrupted. Believe me, it's not that I don't love my wife," Thomas said. "She is the mother of my children after all, but she is a delicate flower to be protected from man's baser nature."

Kid looked as if he wanted to punch Thomas for the comment about Ruth, but he forced himself to remain calm. "Coming together with one's spouse is far from being corrupt; it's a loving act designed by God to bring a man and woman together as one body. Most likely your problem is because you don't tell her what you need. Communication in the bedroom is as important as it is anywhere else and I understand that it may seem a little embarrassing at first to her and to you, but if you can't talk with your wife about it, who can you talk to about it?"

"His lady friends for one," Alexander commented.

Kid ignored that. "And not only are you hurting your wife, you're hurting them girls you mess with."

Jack scoffed. "It doesn't hurt them. It's what they do."

"Because they have to most times. It's not who they are," Kid argued. "You're not only sinning against your own body, you're causing those women to sin. They're human beings same as anybody else."

"You just don't know what good, fulfilling sex is because you're faithful," Thomas said dismissively.

"Not true. No person knows me better than Ruth and I've learned what she needs too. The love we share sweetens it. 'Let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.'"

"What erotic poetry is that?" Jack asked with a perk of interest.

"The Bible, a command from the Lord to let one woman, your wife, be all that you need physically and romantically," Kid answered.

Jack blanched. "Oh."

Kid almost wished he'd gotten his gun out of the safe with the kind of mood he was in just for the joy of threatening and intimidating them a little. "Pardon me, gentleman," Kid said, "but I've had enough of this discussion." He'd walk back to Beacon Hill rather than spend another moment listening to another story of some filthy, phony sexual encounter. He could still hear them talking as he walked toward the exit.

"They're a matched pair if ever I've seen one," Alexander said with a snort, "quoting Bible verses left and right. Either that or she has him whipped. And he looked so rough and tumble."

Josef caught up with Kid. "Thank you for speaking up. I'm true to my wife as well, but I've never taken a stand. I should have."

"Understandable though when you have to work with them."

"How about I treat you to some ice cream? There's a delightful confectionary around the corner that sells the iced dessert. Have you had any before?"

"Can't say that I have." Ice cream was a dessert for the elite.

"Then you are in for a real treat," Josef told him.

sss

Elizabeth was preparing to host a light luncheon, but at this moment, she was standing in the guestroom, holding a dress up in front of Sister Ruth and frowning. "You're not my size. The hem would drag the floor and it needs to be taken in some. Can be done but not in time for the luncheon. I'll have Martha fix a dress or 2 up for you for the future. There'll be other occasions."

It seemed like a lot of trouble to go to for no longer than they were staying. "Why don't I just hide up here?" Ruth offered. "Nobody'll miss me and there's a particular passage in John I want to take a closer at."

"No, that wouldn't work. Two of the women's husbands work at the hospital. I'm sure they know of you already and that you're staying here. Just wear your Sunday best. It will have to do."

Her Sunday best didn't even match their most informal dress. She didn't care herself, but she knew Elizabeth did.

The ladies began arriving a few minutes after Ruth came downstairs. The women all gave Ruth cool looks as they were introduced but were the epitome of politeness as per their upbringing.

The first odd looks she received was when she said prayer over the simple fare, but she was used to that. The second was when she told the girl serving thank you. Then she apparently drank too deeply from her tea instead of taking tiny, little sips like the rest of them. But the unforgivable sin in their eyes was when she scratched where the cuff of her sleeve hit her wrist. Ruth made no apologies. If a person couldn't act natural and scratch when they itched, she wanted no part of it; there was politeness and then there was ridiculousness.

"She's a faith healer," Elizabeth said.; something she had neglected to tell them earlier. The way she said it, it was more an apology for her behavior then a statement of fact.

"Joshua went to one of those but to a man of course," said the blonde in the group. "He wanted a donation before he prayed for him and then the healing didn't even work. Of course, he was gone before he could have him arrested or taken to court. It's probably perfectly legal what he did though. However if you ask me, the whole practice is legal thievery."

"There are some like that, sure enough," Ruth said, replying to the rude story. "There's good and bad men in any profession, I'd say. No healer can promise you that your health's going to be restored. That's up to God."

"You're from the south, aren't you, dear?" said the older lady across from Ruth rather condescendingly.

If her clothes hadn't marked her as an outsider, her accent would have. "You got a good ear."

"I'm on the Ladies of Boston's Abolitionist Society. We believe slavery is a great evil and that the negroes should be freed. We raise money to purchase them and bring them up north."

Ruth didn't know why she chose to bring that up unless she operated under the belief that all southerners were slave owners. "Good for you. I've seen some masters treat their slaves well enough, but I've seen too many sad stories to think it right on any level. The only master anyone should have is God and even He doesn't bondage His people; they serve Him out of love and choice."

Another lady, the heavyset one, asked her a question. It seemed she was the topic of interest to them rather than whatever the original purpose of this gathering had been. "Do you have any children?"

"No, I've not been so blessed. The Lord had other things in mind for my life, I guess."

"Ah, that explains a lot," she said with a patronizing smile before taking a sip of her tea.

Ruth colored with anger. "That explains nothing. I would embrace motherhood, but I wouldn't stop my work for the Lord." Why did so many women judge other women by their husband or lack thereof and whether they had children or not. It was like they thought a person wasn't quite complete without them. "A person is made complete in the Lord and the Lord alone."

"Of course," the lady replied going wide-eyed innocent as if that's not what she had meant at all.

It went back to lighter topics. Ruth had put a number of the dainty little sandwiches and sides on her plate. That too caused stares from the ladies, but lunch had always been the heaviest meal at her house. Supper just being lunch's leftovers mostly. And besides that, these women ate like birds. "No wonder you city ladies are always swooning. You got to pack a little meat on your bones. You can afford to eat, so eat."

They met that comment with silence.

Elizabeth and Ruth walked with the ladies to the door when the luncheon was over.

"I feel so sorry for you," murmured one lady as she told Elizabeth goodbye.

"Watch your valuable things. People like her will rob you blind," said the one who had told the story of the thieving faith healer.

Though they thought they were keeping their voices low to keep Ruth from hearing, she heard them plain enough. In fact, she wouldn't be surprised at all if they'd meant for her to hear. She just shook her head. She'd have sermonized to them if she thought it would do any good. The ladies acted as if she'd wormed her way into the Quinn home instead of being invited.

Elizabeth gave a heavy sigh of relief when all the women were gone. Ruth didn't know who'd had a more miserable time at the luncheon her or Elizabeth.


	5. Chapter 5

The following day was Rebecca's birthday. Josef took the day off for it. They had a family party with the children early in the afternoon and she was going to receive a big, fancy party for friends and acquaintances that evening. Ruth and Kid were invited to join them and been loaned clothing for the event.

Ruth sat at the vanity table, wearing a voluminous lilac silk dress. It had taken Martha no time at all to rework the dress into a good fit. She was feeling a mite sore around her derrière as she had sat there for over an hour while a young maid curled and braided and beribboned her hair until it looked absolutely ridiculous to Ruth's mind. She was thankful that she was not part of this upper echelon society. What time they wasted on their appearance. She didn't have the patience for it.

Ruth had whittled most of the time away though by finding out the maid's personal history. The maid was Irish like Martha and working to save up enough to bring her mother across. She'd come from a family of poor tenement farmers with a cruel landlord, an older man who'd tried to take her virtue. Her uncle, who was a little better off financially than her parents, had taken sympathy on her plight and had loaned her the money for the boat passage. Her father had died and left her mother widowed about 6 months after and was now living on the uncle's charity.

Ruth held a foot up admiring the shoe she wore in spite of her practicality. Elizabeth had been relieved to find that they wore the same size shoe because though the hem mostly covered her shoes, she had shuddered at the thought of someone getting a glimpse of Ruth's regular shoes underneath and they were travel-worn, the leather cracked and thin and a little dusty. Ruth had been meaning to get a new pair, but something always seemed more important. If she hadn't been able to wear Elizabeth's size, she was sure Elizabeth would have gone out and purchased a pair for her as concerned as she was about everything being just right and other people's opinions. The satin shoes barely felt like they were there. They likely wouldn't last long as flimsy as they seemed, but they were comfortable.

Elizabeth had also loaned her costume jewelry, a necklace and matching bracelet made with purple paste designed to imitate amethysts and lots of rhinestones made to imitate diamonds.

After the hair, she had to sit and be powdered to lessen the appearance of her freckles because even her God-given skin was against society standards and considered offensive.

When the young maid was gone, Ruth looked in the long, oval mirror, free to fully take in her appearance. She certainly looked the part even if she didn't feel it.

Kid came back into the room, having seen the maid retreating. He'd thrown on a suit of clothes and been ready a long time ago. He was much thinner and taller than Josef, but Martha had just managed to make it work by completely taking out the hems. Still if he stretched at all, the ends of the sleeves and pants wouldn't quite hit where they were supposed to. He stopped in his tracks, his mouth slightly open, and looked at her as if he'd been stunned.

She didn't know if that was a good or bad reaction, but she fussed, "I feel practically naked. This the widest neckline I've ever seen. If they put less fabric in the sleeves and skirt and more up where it belongs, they'd be doing okay."

He closed his mouth and walked up next to her. "I don't know. I kind of like the fashion myself," he teased, caressing her exposed skin with the back of his hand.

"You would. Why is it that men's fashions don't ever get this outlandish?"

"Cause no one wants to see a man's shoulders," he replied with a grin. He wrapped his arms around her waist, the only small part of the dress. The sleeves and skirt seemed double the size it should have been if not triple. "You kind of remind me of a marshmallow I saw at the confectionary. Good enough to eat."

Ruth didn't know what a marshmallow was, having never seen one, but she had a feeling the image wasn't very flattering and she frowned at him.

"All kidding aside, you look nice. You're going to outshine the birthday girl."

"Right. That gal's 10 years younger than me. I ain't going to outshine anybody unless it's the marshmallow you were talking about."

He kissed the top of her head. "That's what you think. You only get prettier with age."

She spun around and better took in his appearance. "You know you look right dashing in a tux," she said, playing with his tie and collar like she'd love nothing more than to take it off.

"Yeah, well. Don't get too used to it. I feel like I'm libel to strangle."

She laughed and patted his cheek affectionately. "You'll live. You don't know the sensation of the air being taken out of you till you've had an Irish maid pulling at your corset."

His look changed to one of concern. "You okay? Need me to loosen it?"

"Nah, I reckon we need to be getting on down to the party. I'll manage for one night."

sss

Claudette watched as her mother got ready. She'd already watched Rebecca.

"You look very nice, ma'am," Martha said after she'd finished.

"Thank you. Will you go see that Bridget has done a fair job with Mrs. Cole? She's not used to acting as a lady's maid and everything must be perfect."

"Yes, ma'am," she replied and hurried off to do just that.

Elizabeth saw Claudette's expression in the mirror. "Why the long face?"

"You know why. I'm not a child anymore. I should be allowed to go to Rebecca's party."

"You already celebrated with Rebecca. This party is about helping her to make a match. It'll be your turn soon enough. After all, 2 years isn't such a long time to wait to come out into society. Then you'll have your entire life to go to adult parties, but you're only a child once. Enjoy it while you can."

"I guess," Claudette muttered, but clearly she didn't agree.

"I wonder what necklace I should wear with this dress," Elizabeth pondered out loud.

"You should wear the pendant," Claudette said at once.

"Good choice. It is Rebecca's day after all. I shouldn't allow myself to be too ostentatious and it will look nice paired with this dress. You have quite the sense of fashion."

Elizabeth retrieved the necklace and Claudette hooked the pendant for her mother.

It was just a simple gold pendant, but it was the only valuable jewelry passed down from her side of the family, her grandmother's first communion gift. Despite the small monetary value, it was for the sentimental value that often she wore it. One side had the image of a saint engraved on it, but she kept it turned around to the plain side, so no one could see that side of it.

She used the silver mirror that had been given by the same grandmother to check in the other mirror that the clasp had been positioned correctly. Then she ensured that the younger children had been put to bed before going downstairs.

The party was soon underway, she had seen to it that all the unattached, wealthy men from good families had been invited and it was quite the turnout.

She kept an eye out on the Coles, making sure they didn't do something embarrassing. Elizabeth was surprised to find that Sister Ruth was quite the dancer. Her husband danced less well, but it could have been worse. She noted that they both refused the hard cider offered to them by the server. She'd assumed they just didn't like wine when they'd asked for water at the dinners, but they must have been teetotalers.

She'd had a perfectly wonderful tiered cake made for the occasion with pale pink roses made from frosting and faux pearls. It was a work of art. Everyone oohed and aahed over it when it was rolled in the room.

Just as they were about to cut the cake, Michaela came running in clumsily on her chubby legs with Marjorie, Maureen, and Claudette in tow but trying to give chase at more ladylike speeds. They were all in their nightclothes except Claudette.

Josef got to Michaela first and scooped her up. "You little rascal, when did you learn to escape your crib?" he asked.

Rebecca smiled beside her father, not looking displeased by the disruption either. "I guess Mike couldn't miss the chance at more cake."

Elizabeth said nothing. She only looked at Claudette accusingly.

"She got away from me," Claudette explained. "She was crying, so we took her out and then we had to chase her down."

Elizabeth had suspected that Michaela hadn't escaped the crib single-handedly and she also suspected that the sisters had all agreed to Claudette's plan to get a glimpse of things because they were as eager to see the adult party as she. "I will talking to you in the morning, young lady."

"I'll see that they get back in bed," Ruth offered.

Elizabeth agreed, wishing the party to get back to normal as quickly as possible.

Claudette had her own room as did Rebecca, but Maureen, Marjorie, and Michaela still shared a room. Michaela hadn't wanted to be carried back, but she held Ruth's hand as she toddled along.

Back in their room, Michaela managed to snatch the ribbon from Marjorie's braid, taking advantage of her bending down to take her shoes back off.

"You give that right back, Michaela Quinn. That was not nice at all." Marjorie punctuated her demand with a pouty lip and hands on her hips.

It was hard not to laugh, but Ruth knew the little girl would be highly offended if she did. "Don't take on so. She's just a baby; she don't mean anything by it. She just thought it looked fun to play with." She rescued the ribbon before it was slobbered on and handed it back to her.

"You don't understand. She always gets her way. It won't matter how old she is. Father spoils her." She looked at Maureen. "Tie it back," she ordered.

"I'm not your maid," she returned.

"Come here. I'll tie it for you," Ruth said. "Your father loves all his girls. He just realizes that Mike will be his last little baby."

Marjorie felt the back of her hair when she finished as if wasn't quite sure Ruth could tie a proper bow. Then the girls climbed into their beds and Ruth lifted Michaela into her crib.

"You girls want to hear a bedtime story?" Ruth asked.

"I guess that would be okay," Marjorie said, not able to hide her interest as much as she wanted to.

"If you would like, Mrs. Cole," Maureen said politely.

"I told you. Call me Sister Ruth."

"Mother says we can't call you that," Maureen explained. "That it's improper."

"Oh, well, if your mother says it, I expect you better listen," Ruth said.

She told them the story of The Leg that Came Down the Chimney, a ghost story she and her siblings had enjoyed telling each other again and again, embellishing it every time to frighten each other silly, but she made it more goofy than scary so as not to scare them. They were a tough audience, but she saw them cracking grins at certain parts and watched as their eyes got big at the right places.

When she finished, she said, "You know there's no such things as ghosts, don't you? Folks go to one of two place when this life is over. They don't stay with us."

"Sure we know that," Maureen said. Marjorie agreed with a nod, but they both looked relieved.

Ruth told them a Bible story next and they were asleep before it was halfway through. She tugged all their blankets higher and wondered if Elizabeth and Josef knew how lucky they were to have 5 lovely girls.

She returned to the party just as it was winding down. Kid had saved her a slice of cake and by the time she finished it, the guests were beginning to leave. Ruth and Kid wished Rebecca a happy birthday again and then retired to bed.

Elizabeth was the last one upstairs, having stayed to make sure the servants all received proper orders on cleaning it up.

In her bedroom, Elizabeth took a seat at the vanity table once more and went to remove her necklace while Martha worked on taking pins out of her hair, but she found her neck was bare. "My pendant is gone."


	6. Chapter 6

Elizabeth sent Martha out to inform the other servants to drop what they were doing and find that necklace while she finished getting ready for bed, but Martha stated they had no success after 30 minutes of searching.

It was plain that it had been stolen. That would explain why Ruth had been gone so long, hiding the necklace somewhere. She must have gotten it away when she'd asked to see the kids to bed. She was no doubt one of them people who were so quick at taking things, you didn't even see them do it.

Elizabeth ordered Martha to bed and then she went over to her own bed that she shared with her husband. "Josef, wake up."

"Mmm?" he mumbled groggily.

"My necklace has been stolen."

Josef sat up then. "What necklace? Your gold pendant? Are you sure? Maybe the latch just broke and it's lying on the floor somewhere."

"Of course, I'm sure. I am not a hysterical female. I had the staff look for it before I woke you."

"I wasn't accusing you of being hysterical." He was silent a few moments, stroking his beard in thought. "This is a conundrum."

"Not in my book. You want my opinion, I think the Coles took it. I warned you against inviting 2 total strangers into our home."

"You can't know that it was Sister Ruth or Kid," Josef argued.

"Can't I? We know everyone else that was there."

"How well does a person really know social acquaintances? Or some of our servants for that matter. It could have been anyone. Maybe one of the girls took it to play with. Did you ask them?"

"I'm not waking them up at this time of night. I'll ask them in the morning, but my money is on the Coles."

"The only thing left to do then is go to bed," Josef said reasonably. "Things will likely look different in the morning and we'll get to the bottom of the mystery."

"Likely they'll have sold it by then," she muttered, but she climbed into bed as he asked; she didn't get much sleep though, listening for sounds of her suspects creeping down the hall to make off with more items or sell the one they had.

sss

Just to be sure, Elizabeth went to the girls first thing the next morning, and they all swore they hadn't seen or touched it.

Unspoken accusation hung heavy at the breakfast table, radiating from Elizabeth like waves. Josef had told Elizabeth earlier not to mention anything yet. That they had no right to accuse their guests unless there was proof and there wasn't. She'd agreed sullenly.

The children sensed it and tried to hurry through their breakfast, but their mother admonished them to slow down. Rebecca, ever the peacemaker, tried to distract everyone with cheerful talk of the party last night.

Only Ruth had the nerve to ask the source of her displeasure when she saw it was more than usual and not going anywhere. "Something seems to be bothering you, sister. Sometimes it helps to talk about it."

"Well, since you asked," Elizabeth said, ignoring the emphatic 'no' printed in Josef's features. "Everything is not alright. You remember the pendant I worn last night?"

In truth, Ruth didn't. She didn't give fashion a lot of attention. "Can't say that I do. Did something happen to it?"

Josef answered for her. "It seems to be missing." He handed Ruth a paper in order to make Elizabeth drop the subject. "You might be interested in this. It's not just a regular paper, but one that argues for freeing all the slaves."

All but done eating, she took it with genuine curiosity. It was titled _The Liberator_ with the day's date: Saturday May 24, 1834.

It recounted speeches from a convention on the topic of freeing slaves to colonize Africa. A reverend argued against using the evil slaveholder as the representative for the whole south for certainly some of the articles tried to demonize the whole southern people as if they were all in it together. He argued that much more would be accomplished by gently and kindly persuading people to give up slavery than would be intimidating them into it. Ruth agreed wholeheartedly, at least in theory, but she wondered if it would be that simple. A disagreement between 2 powers generally resulted in violence. However, she didn't agree when the same reverend also said that black and white would never be able to coexist in the same land together. They could with God's love.

It contained stories of mistreatment of slaves, stories from St. Louis and New Orleans and other cities. There were also reports from antislavery societies that detailed who they voted in, resolutions made, etc. She disagreed with the resolution of one that it was the duty of every Christian in non-slaveholding states to work against slavery; she believed it was the duty of every Christian wherever they hung their hat or were born. Maybe even the duty of Southern Christians most of all to be a light where the evil was happening. One such article slandered their former reverend leader, remarking on his lack of genius and originality. She clicked her tongue disapprovingly for surely he didn't deserve to be so embarrassed. How did that accomplish their goal to see all people free?

There were, of course, the typical paper advertisement from selling hats to putting notices out for rooms for board. She scoffed at a syrup that claimed to cure everything from asthma to consumption. It was likely just drink or something even stronger that hooked a person and made them forget they had the ills for awhile, especially since it offered a money back guarantee. She was sure Josef had scoffed over that advertisement too.

There were obscure articles on the last page that varied greatly in topic and had nothing to do with slavery from commenting on how females was designed to be content to stay at home unlike the male to a piece that claimed parents loved female children better and that it was natural and right for it to be so. Then there was a whole column devoted to people speaking out against the evil of theatre.

One of miscellaneous articles that caught her attention was about the trouble Texas was having. The article predicted that a civil war was imminent there due to the harshness of the Mexican government. She prayed it wasn't so. She and Kid hadn't been in that region since they were married mostly because of the measures taken to prevent folks from immigrating there from the United States.

Certainly _The Liberator_ made many valid points, but not everything on its pages held water. She thought the most valid was when they used scripture to support their claims.

She folded it up again and handed it back to Josef. "Just fascinating. I'd heard mention of the publication or rumors of it more like but hadn't been able to lay my hands on a copy until now. If it works to save those poor people in bondage, I'm all for it."

By this time, the only ones left at the table were Josef, Kid, and herself.

"It's time we were getting to the hospital," Josef said, looking at the time.

Ruth seemed reluctant to leave Kid with nothing to do all day and hesitated at saying goodbye.

"I've got some things to keep me occupied," Kid told her. "I'll see you tonight."

Ruth gave him a quick peck to the lips and they were off.

sss

As the line of shops went by from the open carriage, Ruth caught a glimpse of a sign in a window that read 'No Irish Need Apply Here'. She mentioned what she thought she read to Josef.

He nodded, showing her eyes hadn't deceived her. "There's a lot of prejudice for the Irish here and for the Irish Catholics especially and the tensions only seem to be mounting. In fact, here in Boston, I would say they're more hated than those with black skin and I worry what all this hatred will lead to. No good end, I know."

"No," she agreed. So not everything was coming up sunshine and daisies in the north either. Not that Ruth was surprised for where sinful man was there would be sin. "Maybe that paper ought to take up the cause of the Irish that's right on their doorstep. And from what I read their view on females ain't so biblically founded either. Might be they should take up women's causes too and quit worrying about actors so much."

"Maybe they should. Of course, the good folks of Boston wouldn't like it too good and this is where the paper is published. Easier to offend the people that are a few states away."

"That don't negate the good work they are doing mind. They need to make people think. I agreed with most of it." She switched gears a little and commented, "You employ Irish."

"Yes, we do. I've found them a hardworking lot and feel rather close to them."

Ruth was surprised that Elizabeth would employ those considered to be unpopular. French servants were so much more fashionable from what she'd gathered.

Josef must have read some of those thoughts in her expression or guessed at what she would be thinking. "You know I've always rather thought of my dear wife as one of the roses she so loves. If you can get past the prickly part, she is a most good and beauteous soul."

"I do get that sense from her. I don't think she'll let me get past the prickly part though, at least not until that necklace gets found. She thinks either Kid or I stole, don't she?"

"I'm afraid she does. I tell you what though, it worries me that the necklace is gone."

"What do you mean?"

"It's easily definable as a Catholic piece of jewelry, maybe even as being Irish. I fear that's more the reason for its disappearance than the small pittance it would bring at a pawn shop. Some of those ladies were wearing diamonds and rubies and other precious stones. Why take a small gold necklace?"

"I see what you mean. What does Elizabeth think?"

"I think she sees that too, but it's easier to pretend not to see."

"Well, I'll certainly be praying that it turns up. I didn't know ya'll were Catholic."

"We're not. Elizabeth was as a child, but she joined the Episcopalian church with me when we were married, although some would call Episcopalians Protestant Catholics, so it wasn't much a departure."

"Is that right? I ain't never been to an Episcopalian service. I'm interested in attending with you all tomorrow."

"And I'm sure Mrs. Quinn will be happy to have you there," he said with humor in his eyes. She wouldn't be happy at all as they would need to share their pew with the Coles.; they couldn't be relegated to the servant's gallery as their houseguests. He was glad though, maybe Elizabeth would see them as the good Christian folks they were if they attended church with them.


	7. Chapter 7

"Back again, are you?" asked Dr. O'Neil as if he'd expected not to see Ruth again, though hoped was probably closer to the mark. He'd spotted her and Josef almost as soon as they came through the door.

"I am," she agreed. It looked as if he was used to intimidating people, but she looked him straight in the eyes unabashedly, knowing he had more to say.

The fact she wasn't cowered by him seemed to make him angry, but he went on. "Mother Superior shared with me that she could use your help and I've decided you may speak at our staff meeting, but I fully intend on refuting anything you may say. Just a friendly little warning."

"Well, thank you. I'd love to hear you try and refute if you can, brother," Ruth replied, still confident in her gaze.

He sneered and then hurried on to whatever work he had waiting.

"Looks a little hectic around here," Josef said. "I better get to seeing my patients. Do you think you can locate Mother Superior?"

"I'm sure I can."

It didn't take long to locate her. She was a flurry of activity. She didn't even stop to talk to her. Ruth had to move with her to listen to what she was saying.

"We're swamped today. We've been running around trying to medicate, feed, wrap bandages, and I'm afraid we haven't even gotten around to emptying chamber pots."

"Say no more. I'll take care of it," Ruth said agreeably.

It wasn't the most enjoyable job in the world, but she reminded herself to do every task as if doing it for the Lord and the patients that weren't too out of it were thankful that the foul contents were being moved where they didn't have to smell it all the time.

It was up and downstairs all day, emptying it into the streets. That made her tired. She wanted to sit down awhile, but there was no time for it. She wished they were in the country where there would be an outhouse hole to dump it into. She didn't know how city people could stand to live this way all the time. It's probably why they stayed sick half the time. A person should pay heed to their nose and being outside in with all the filth and the rats it attracted said unhealthy the way she saw it.

She was stopped a couple of times by rude doctors. One asked, "Wouldn't you rather be in bed somewhere? I hear you prefer it."

She cocked her head at the strange comment. Was that some sort of innuendo? "I don't know what you're talking about, doctor, and I don't care to. If you'll excuse me," she brushed past him, but she had a feeling his nasty grin followed her.

Another one bumped into her when she was carrying a full load. The contents splashed over and hit her shoes and the bottom of her dress.

"So sorry," the doctor apologized though it was plain by the tone and smirk that it had been no accident.

Mother Superior saw that incident.

"Ignore them," she advised, "as much as you can. They tolerate nuns because it's a Catholic hospital, but women nurses are a rarity and most doctors don't like them."

"When probably a number of them were birthed by a midwife. Not to mention it was likely their mother that nursed them back to health when they were sick as a child." She was looking down at her shoes and skirt as she spoke. She wanted nothing more than to go home and change into something fresh and clean as she felt very contaminated, but she refused to be run off. That was no doubt the aim of the act.

"It is what it is. Maybe one day it'll be different, but that day's not today. There's a pitcher of water and a cloth over there if you want to scrub up a little. Then would you mind feeding one of our patients? It'll be a break for you, but let me tell you she's a tough one. Don't want to eat like she's supposed to."

Ruth washed up and then got the food for the patient from the nurse in charge of cooking. Mother Superior had pointed out the one she was to take it to. It was a bowl of broth with chunks of unidentifiable pieces swimming in it, not very appetizing. She didn't blame the woman for not wanting to eat it, but food was food when you needed it.

The woman was frail and middle-aged. "You're new, are you not?" she asked when she saw Ruth.

"Yes, ma'am. Just started helping out around here today."

"You're not from around here, are you?"

"No, ma'am," she said with a smile as she sat down on the stool beside the bed. She had a feeling that she'd hear that a lot while she was in Boston, but at least the lady didn't mean it condescendingly like the last one that had asked had.

"You're not a nun, are you?"

"I sure ain't. I hope that don't bother you none," she said, stirring the bowl, trying to make it look a little better, but it was a lost cause.

"I suppose anybody can shove soup down my throat. That is what you're here to do after all, but if you're not a nun, how'd you come to work here?"

"I'm a faith healer. I'm just here to speak and help out for a couple weeks. I got a revival to get back to."

"Are you good at it?"

"I'm not, but God is. He's been in the business of fixing people up for a long time."

"Could you heal me then, so I can get out of this dreary hospital?" She looked around the room with evident disdain for the place.

"Might be I could pray with you, but I don't think you lack faith. I think you're not listening to what the doctors and nurses are telling you that you have to do to get better."

"That's not true. Besides, what do they know?"

Ruth fought not to smile. "I ain't got much medical training, not like the doctors have, but even I know you're supposed to eat. The Lord can heal you, but you got to work with Him a little bit. He expects you to do your part."

"I suppose you got a point," she mumbled "Okay, feed me."

The woman was too weak to even lift a spoon. Ruth adjusted her to a semi-sitting position and began to entertain her with stories of her travel to keep the lady's mind off the fact that she was being spoon-fed, which seemed to embarrass her to no end.

Mother Superior smiled approvingly from where she was changing out bandages on a woman's leg, having been half watching the exchange.

Josef came and got her before the end of the day. He explained his plan as they walked. "I'm going to check their vitals every day. Not one of the influenza patients has been told they're being prayed for and it must stay that way because sometimes a person acts differently if they think something is helping them. I've got some ladies that don't have a thing wrong with them, at least not much, but I give them a harmless and ineffectual remedy and they're right as rain again. The mind can play tricks. We must make sure that God's the only variable. The doctors and nurses that care for them don't know either to keep them from treating the patients any differently. Have you started praying for them?"

"Of course." She stopped in front of the door where Dr. O'Neil had pronounced that the patient didn't have much hope despite all the prayers being prayed for him.

"Sad case. He's got pneumonia, his body is wracked with infection, and his age and weight aren't good. He's too weak to fight it. I'm afraid it's only a matter of time."

"And it ain't time until the Lord calls you."

Before Josef could advise against it, she went into the patient's room.

"Hi, I'm Sister Ruth. I guess you could say I'm a nurse here for the time being."

The patient's wife spoke for him. "Nice to meet you, sister. I'm Mrs. Adkins and this Mr. Adkins."

"I heard ya'll wouldn't mind a little prayer."

Mrs. Adkins smiled a sad smile. "We covet all the prayer we can get."

Ruth prayed with them, putting her hands on the patient as she called for healing, hoping that this sweet older couple had more time together here and the Lord's majesty would be revealed through the act.

A few minutes later, he had the strength to set up in bed and ask his wife for something to eat.

Dr. O'Neil came in not long after that. "What are you doing in here?" He demanded of Sister Ruth, not looking happy. Then he saw his patient. "Mr. Adkins what are you doing? Trying to hasten your demise? Lay back down."

"I haven't felt this good in years," Mr. Adkins protested. "I think I just experienced a miracle. In fact, I know I did."

Dr. O'Neil thought he would take care of that in a hurry. He brought his bag over and examined him thoroughly, but sure enough he couldn't find any physical signs of illness. "This is impossible," he muttered more to himself than anybody in the room.

"Nothing is impossible with God," Ruth said.

He turned his frustration and anger on her, "I don't know what you did, but you stay away from the patients under my care," he warned. "They don't need your hocus pocus. This was just a coincidence, I'm sure."

"Well, I thank God she didn't," Mrs. Adkins said. She looked as if she was normally a timid woman, but she seemed to draw strength from what just happened. "And you make it sound like she's some kind of heathen. She did nothing that's not in accordance with the Bible. I have no doubt in my mind God decided to work through this good lady here."

"Get out," Dr. O'Neil said to Ruth as if he didn't hear a word of it.

She knew when to leave and she did with Josef following.

"And I will talk to you later, Dr. Quinn," Dr. O'Neil warned from behind them.

"I think you frightened him a little," Josef told her when they were away from the room.

"Nothing to be frightened about," she said.

"No, but he's not a man to toy with. Be careful or he won't let you come back."

"You saying I shouldn't have healed Mr. Adkins?"

"No, you did the right thing. Just try not to be obvious about it in the future."

Josef checked the vitals of all the influenza patients, making notes, and then they returned to the house.

Ruth climbed the stairs fully intent on not having to climb back down them until morning. She'd eat upstairs for supper or not at all.

Kid was sitting on top the bed, sharpening his pocketknife. "Rough day?" he asked.

"You could say that," she said, more than a little relieved to get out of the filthy dress and shoes. She didn't intend to tell him of the doctors' treatment of her or he would insist she not go back or take care of them himself and neither would be good. "I'm very tired. I spent most of the day emptying chamber pots."

And tired was an understatement. She really wanted to start soaking the discarded shoes and dress, but she was plumb worn out. She was sure that Elizabeth wouldn't let her do her own laundry anyway. She'd have to give it to a servant. She changed the subject before he asked outright about how she got her clothes dirty because though it wasn't as visible as it was before she'd scrubbed it at the hospital, the smell was still pretty awful. "What'd you spend the day doing?"

"Checking the pawn shops and the like to see if someone had brought in a necklace last night or this morning. Nothing came of it, but I described it to them, so at least they know it's stolen if anyone comes to them with it and'll let us know. If they're honest anyway."

He kneaded the knot of tension she had between her neck and shoulder right out without her even having to ask. After a day like today, it made her remember how blessed she was to get to come back to this man. She prayed she would never take him for granted.


	8. Chapter 8

Ruth wore the other dress Elizabeth had provided to church. It was a sober gray, but the black edging and bows made it anything but plain. The skirt and sleeves were as full as the ball gown but with a much more modest neckline and less shiny material. Kid wore Josef's altered suit again.

The Quinns had a reserved pew. The congregation was arranged like most in rich, city churches with well to do people in the front and those in service or the poor back in the back, including Martha, who also attended this church. Ruth didn't like the practice at all. It was not how God's kingdom was going to be and not how He intended church to be, the one place where there should have been no class distinctions just one body of believers.

There was a beautiful stained glass window in the front of the church; the jewel-colored panes depicted the crucifixion. The light seemed to stream through and illuminate Jesus most of all. It was breathtaking and Ruth stared at it for a good while. Elizabeth made sure to let them know that it was Josef's father who had given the money for this expensive addition.

"What does it matter, Elizabeth?" Josef said.

"Well, of course it matters," Elizabeth replied.

"It is a fine piece. We should all try to let God's light stream through us in such a way, so that the focus is solely on Christ." She hadn't meant it as a rebuke. She was simply still enthralled with the window, but it abruptly silenced the argument all the same.

Josef hadn't been kidding when he said an Episcopalian service was like a Catholic service. There was the procession, the reciting of rotary prayers, rising up and down in the pews, the communion. The only difference on the surface, in fact, was the service was in English and the communion was believed to only be symbolic, in remembrance of the act Christ had performed on the cross.

Ruth took notice of the children periodically. The girls were all perfectly behaved from the oldest to the youngest and looking adorable in their gloves and hats. They didn't so much as swing a leg or make a peep the whole time, an impressive feat in children. Of course, in Michaela's case that was probably only because she was sleeping.

The service was short. A fact that Kid was secretly happy about. He'd sat through some services that were over 3 hours and he just didn't feel like sitting though a long one this Sunday.

He didn't get away as quick as he liked though. He and Ruth had taken Horse and Grace to church, to get them out of the stable for a little while. The Quinns had long left after complimenting the pastor. The holdup was that Ruth was talking to some redheaded young woman.

Kid sat on the wagon waiting for her. He wouldn't change Ruth for the world, but did she have to spend to spend so much time talking to people she'd never even met? 15 minutes, that's how long he'd counted so far. A casual observer would have thought Ruth had known her for years the way she was laughing with her. She didn't know the meaning of the word stranger. Everyone was a sister or a brother to her.

He, on the other hand, was socially drained. He wanted to lock himself up in the guestroom and read a book and enjoy some quiet and solitude. Regain his energy. There were so many people in Boston. He felt a little claustrophobic or like one of a thousand little ants. He tried to focus on something besides all the people. Fortunately, his wait wasn't too much longer.

"You finished or you want to find out somebody else's life history?" Kid asked as he helped her up.

"What's got you in a mood?" She said it good-naturedly. She wasn't really put out with him, at least not yet.

"I got a headache coming on and something about Boston wears at a man. Makes him long for open spaces."

"I'm sorry, honey. You should've said something. I'd have left sooner."

Her energy had only picked up from the socializing, and he was truly thankful for it. She often served as a buffer when some Kid Cole devotee wanted to know all about him, things like how many men he'd killed, and she handled it much more gently than he would have in the process.

She walked with him to the room to change out of the fancy clothes for one of her simpler but still feminine frocks. When she was done, she went over to where he lay on the bed and kissed the top of his head, smoothed his hair away from his forehead. "You rest up and I'll see you in a little bit."

He picked up from her manner that she was going out. "You ain't going to go get into trouble, are you?"

"No. I am interested in exploring the city, see who I can find that needs some ministering to, but I thought I'd just visit the girl I was talking to today. Her mother passed away not to long ago and I think she's kind of lonely."

"Be careful all the same," he said, pulling her down for a quick kiss.

She made it out the front door about 10 minutes later because she stopped to talk with Martha. She saw that Elizabeth was puttering out in the garden if it could be called a garden. It was more like a fenced in box of earth.

She was smiling as she pruned the roses that were just beginning to awaken from their winter sleep. Ruth didn't recall ever seeing the woman smile before, at least not a real smile, a social smile maybe.

Elizabeth looked up and noticed her there. "I suppose you think it a waste to grow flowers or a sin to be gardening on a Sunday?"

"How can anything God made be a waste, sister? No, I love flowers too. If I had a house of my own, I'd put out a few. And as for Sunday, the work is obviously restful to you."

"It is that. Do you ever get tired of traveling around all the time?" she asked.

She didn't know why the sudden switch in topics, but she answered, "Of course I do. Sometimes. I get tired of the camp food mostly and then nice folks like you open up their home and share a home-cooked meal and my spirits get restored, but I'd say sometimes you get tired of the perfection high society demands, don't you? Wish you could get away from it for awhile?"

"I suppose I can. Maybe that's why I enjoy gardening so."

"I know I'm doing what God would have me do, traveling around like I do, and that makes it all worthwhile. Funny, isn't it? A high society lady can't get her hands dirty to grow a cucumber without inviting scorn, but she can get it dirty for a flower. Who comes up with these rules?"

A ghost of a smile appeared on Elizabeth's lips, but she quickly squelched it. "Someone does." She eyed the package under her arm. "Where are you taking off to?"

"I'm going to see that nice gal I met at church. I don't know if you know her. Norah Brady?"

"Doesn't sound familiar. Is she sick?"

"Oh, no. It's just a friendly visit. If the Creator of the universe can take a day of rest, I reckon a healer can too. She told me where she lived in case I wanted to drop by sometime, so I thought I'd surprise her today with a little visit."

"Are you taking her something?" Surely she wouldn't be a hiding the necklace in it when she could just as easily slip it in her pocket. But the woman talked about God too much. It was suspicious to Elizabeth.

"A little gift from Martha. They're cousins. Her mother, Martha's aunt passed away a couple of weeks ago and she hasn't had a chance to send her along some food yet. She was going to take it on her afternoon off, but bread's always better fresher."

"Oh." Elizabeth was surprised she didn't know about Martha's aunt and cousin but then not so surprised. Martha was only a servant and it was unseemly to get to know the hired help too well. Martha knew her place and she knew hers as the lady of the house. How Sister Ruth had unearthed all this information in such a short time she didn't know.

"Nothing like good Irish soda bread either," Ruth said with a smile.

"Is that a taunt?" Elizabeth asked. Proof to her mind she'd been right in her distrust. She suspected Sister Ruth had divined her Irish Catholic roots from the necklace.

"Why not at all. It's good bread and what's it matter where a person's born? Differences make life more colorful. I think it's admirable you and Dr. Quinn employ the Irish despite popular opinion." Ruth was careful not to mention she knew about Elizabeth's family, knowing she wouldn't like it and that she would not be happy with Josef for telling her.

Elizabeth said resolutely, "It matters." She realized deep down perhaps she was being unfair by judging Sister Ruth and Kid Cole for where they came from, but a place of birth said a lot about a person, there was no denying that. She'd risen above her heritage, but not everyone was so fortunate.

And yet the infuriating woman looked as if she pitied her when if anybody should have been pitying anybody, it should have been her pitying Ruth. "Not to God it doesn't," Ruth said.

Ruth was about to take her leave. It was a couple miles walk from here but a lovely day for it when Martha burst through the door, uncharacteristically in a tizzy.

"Mrs. Quinn, Mrs. Quinn! You have to read this. Oh, it's not good, ma'am. Not good at all."

"Martha, calm yourself. Whatever it is, it can be handled," Elizabeth said rationally.

Martha held a piece of paper out to her. "A note was pushed under the door. It must have got kicked to the side when everyone returned from church, but I saw it when I was sweeping. Oh, read it for yourself, ma'am. An ill wind is blowing."

Elizabeth looked as if she wanted to tell Martha she was being silly again, but once she read it, she paled at whatever she read. Apparently it wasn't something so easily handled after all.


	9. Chapter 9

"What's wrong?" Ruth asked, full of concern. "Who is it from?"

Elizabeth looked up. It couldn't be her. She'd caught a glimpse of the writing inside Ruth's Bible during church. The penmanship was not the same and the writing was too feminine to be Kid's unless there was a third partner involved. "From someone asking for money."

"For the return of the necklace?" Ruth guessed.

"That and to keep some private information private."

Elizabeth moved to go in to tell Josef. Martha and Ruth trailed behind her.

"Go get, Dr. Quinn," Elizabeth told the maid. "I wish to speak with him at once in the parlor."

"Is there anything I can help with?" Ruth asked.

"Not unless you can track down the author of the letter," Elizabeth said impatiently.

"Can I see it?" Ruth queried.

Elizabeth had been facetious in the remark, but she gave it to her anyway.

_I know your secret. I will see that all Boston knows it before I'm through and the necklace is just what I needed to prove it. However, I could be persuaded to keep it to myself for a price. Meet me alone tomorrow night at 7 at Atwood & Bacon Oyster House_ _and we shall discuss business. _

"I hope you're not considering going alone," Ruth said, giving it back.

"Of course not. Do I look stupid?"

"At least it should be easy to discover who did take it. You're not going to give them anything, are you?"

Her momentary silence said that she was considering it. "When and if I need your opinion, I'll ask for it. Don't you have bread to deliver?"

"I'll pray for you," she promised before leaving her alone in the parlor.

"What is it, Elizabeth?" Josef said, a little out of breath as Martha had told him it was urgent.

"Something dreadful has happened." She gave him the letter to read.

When finished reading, he shook his head. "I refuse to be blackmailed. What is so horrible about being from Ireland or being Catholic? It's not a crime. He or she won't receive a penny from me." The normally pliant Josef was adamant about this. He didn't take stands very often, especially against his wife, but when he did, he was immovable. He crumpled the paper in his hand.

"Then I am done for. The children are done for. Is that what you want? For us to be social outcasts in the midst of Rebecca's first season? Because that's what it will come to."

Michaela wandered into the parlor alone. Where was that incompetent maid, Bridget, Elizabeth thought with annoyance. She was supposed to be watching her and putting her down for a nap. Her eyes searched, but she didn't see her.

Josef didn't seem to mind it. He picked her up with a smile. The toddler was oblivious to the tension in the room as she became fascinated with the tie around her father's neck, attempting to undue the mystery of the neat bow with a concentrated look for one so young. "Mike's going to be a smart one. You can just see it, can't you?"

"We are not discussing Michaela. We are discussing the future of this entire family."

"If it does come out, it will blow over. These things always do. The next scandal will come along and ours will be forgotten. As for Rebecca, she's young. She has plenty of time to marry."

Michaela yawned and Josef talked to his daughter as he walked with her across the room. "I believe someone's ready for some sleep. Let's go find what happened to your lost maid before your mother decides to fire her."

Elizabeth wasn't thinking of the maid though she was thinking of her world shattering. High society was a very fragile thing. The least little breath of scandal destroyed family names utterly. Something had to be done whether Josef wanted to face it or not.

sss

The guestroom had a view of the street and Kid was standing looking out it the following evening. "Just as I thought, our hostess is slipping off to meet the blackmailer, taking advantage of her husband being called out to see a patient." Ruth had filled Kid in on the note yesterday. "Can't let her walk into a trap if that's what it is."

"No, I reckon not," she said, closing her Bible and standing up.

"Who said you were going?"

"You'll stick out less with me along. Besides, the more eyes, the better."

Kid gave in only because there was no time to waste arguing. He didn't even stop to get his gun.

sss

The restaurant had a cozy feel to it with an eclectic mix of customers, a perfect place for a secret rendezvous. Elizabeth had taken a table in the back corner. They took one nearer the door where they still had a clear line of vision but wouldn't be noticed if they were lucky.

"The King of France lived on the second floor back in 1796, tutoring young women in French during his exile to make a living," the waiter informed them.

Kid grunted in reply.

"No kidding?" Ruth asked.

Seeing he was wasting words on the two, who didn't look properly impressed with this bit of information, he gave them a menu.

Ruth and Kid already eaten, but they scanned the menu for something light to eat to blend in. There were a number of seafood items and other fare frequently found in New England, but Ruth was interested in the oysters that the place was named for, having never tried them before. "How about oysters?"

"We'll have a plate of oysters," Kid said to the waiter.

"And water," Ruth added. She wanted something handy to wash the taste down if it the taste matched the look. She saw the slippery, gray meat at other tables and it didn't scream appetizing, but thinking they deserved not to be judged by their appearance, she refused to be dissuaded.

They must have had a batch ready in the kitchen because it didn't take them long to bring it out.

She cracked one and brought it hesitantly up to her mouth. Then she took a quick bite before she changed her mind. Oysters wouldn't go on the list of her favorite foods. It wasn't that it had a particularly strong taste though it was easy to taste that it came from the sea, but it was the slimy, chewy texture of it. She continued to crack the shells and eat nevertheless, not wanting to waste them as they had paid for it. She was glad she'd had the foresight to order water.

Kid didn't look as if he were particularly enjoying them either but then he was more intent on studying the situation than what he was putting in his mouth.

Elizabeth still sat alone 30 minutes later. By the time they'd finished their plate, she had given up and gone home.

It was possible their presence had scared the person off, but Kid didn't think so. No one else had come into the restaurant and no one had took any particular note of them or Elizabeth as far as he could tell.

"Think our mystery person is only toying with her?" Ruth asked.

"Seems that way. The question is are they going to eventually let her off the hook or throw her to the fishes?"


	10. Chapter 10

They had their answer in the Boston Atlas the following morning. Whoever it was intended on throwing her to the fishes.

The article was posted in the society page along with who wore what and who'd made a match with whom. It didn't come right out and name them, no doubt the paper protecting itself from being sued for slander, but it gave enough clues to their identities that it left no room for doubt.

"Well, Josef, see what your inaction has caused?" Elizabeth said, pointing out the offending piece.

Josef had been reading about the Whigs' nominations for the upcoming election. He always gave Elizabeth the society page. The only news he didn't care for. He remained unconcerned even after he read it. "It could have been worse."

The comment didn't cheer her up even the slightest bit.

"I'm sorry this happened to you, Mrs. Quinn," Kid said, "but most people ain't no good. Sad but true."

"Only One is good," Ruth added.

Elizabeth was in no mood to be preached at. She ignored them altogether.

The breakfast dishes had barely been cleared from the table before a servant from another household arrived with a letter. A letter uninviting Rebecca to a dance being held that evening.

"And so it begins," Elizabeth muttered after Harrison had given it to her.

"It doesn't bother me," Rebecca assured her mother. "I'm sure it would have been dreadfully boring. I'd much rather stay home and work on my French. I fear I'm falling behind in it."

The cheerfulness grated on Elizabeth's nerves. She was much too like her father. Why couldn't she just throw a tantrum like a normal teenager? Like Elizabeth herself felt like doing. "That's not the point. The point is no one uninvites a Quinn anywhere."

The invitation wasn't the only disruption to the day. Around lunchtime, Elizabeth received a visit from the president of the league to which she belonged, a visit that didn't last long.

Madame President carefully sipped the hot tea Elizabeth had offered without saying anything as if she had stopped by for no reason in particular, but when she had made her way through most of the cup, she finally said what she'd come to say. "I think you need a break from the Leading Ladies League. Just until this unfortunate talk dies down you understand."

Elizabeth gave the woman a hard look. "If that's the way you're going to be, you can keep your membership. I don't want it."

She gave a patronizing smile. "It's true then what they say about Irish tempers."

"Get out of my house" she said coldly. She'd known her friends were false. If she wanted to be honest, had it been some other lady facing a crisis of this sort, she would have shunned them as well. At least, she would have before today.

She followed her to the door to make sure the infuriating woman left immediately. After she watched her get into the carriage, she turned around and caught a whiff of something coming up from the kitchen. She didn't normally venture into the kitchen, but she was intrigued. She'd only requested sandwiches for lunch. Clearly something else was cooking.

She found Sister Ruth at the stove rather than her cook.

Ruth looked up and noticed her on the stairs that led down into the kitchen. "Hope you don't mind. Your cook said you and Dr. Quinn wouldn't care and I really wanted some taters. It's been a month of Sundays since I had any."

"Taters?"

"Potatoes. You ain't had them till you've had them fried. Got some soup beans and cornbread going too. You can have some if you like. I made enough for anybody who wants some. This lunch'll stick to your ribs. Won't need no teatime to fortify you till supper."

Elizabeth didn't look too sure of that and eyed the golden slices and the popping grease with an upturned nose. "That's kind of you, but no. No meat?"

"Well, the beans got salt pork boiling in there just for flavoring and it's bacon grease that I'm frying the taters in, so I reckon it ain't a complete departure from meat."

"I'd say not."

Elizabeth looked as if her stomach turned at the thought in much the way Ruth's had at the look of oysters. It was all in what you were used to, Ruth supposed.

"Where is my cook?" Elizabeth asked, looking around the empty kitchen.

"The tomatoes went bad, so she went out to buy some fresh ones. She'll be back any minute."

"You must be enjoying this," Elizabeth said abruptly.

"Enjoying what?" Ruth asked in confusion.

"My downfall. I haven't exactly been fair to you or your husband in the matter."

"I don't rejoice in anybody's misery. I'm kind of surprised you suspected we stole from you though. Be kind of dumb to steal and then stick around afterwards to get caught."

"I imagine it would," she said, hinting she had thought them that dumb.

Ruth reached for the spatula to flip the potatoes to make sure both sides were golden brown and Elizabeth caught a quick look of Ruth's feet as her skirt twisted in the action. "Are you in your bare feet?"

She gave her a guilty-as-charged grin. "I guess you can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl."

"That may be, but you're in the city now. It's time to start acting like it."

"If you knew where all my shoes had been, I think you'd be grateful to me for not wearing them in the kitchen." She used the spatula to scoop some of the fried potatoes into her plate. The beans went onto the other side where she then crumbled the waiting cornbread over the beans. She said a quick blessing before digging in right there in the kitchen.

"Then I'm going to take you to the shoe store where they have been nowhere but the store."

"I got to get to the hospital. I promised to be there after lunch. Got a nun there that's been working almost 18 hours and needs a break to sleep. I pray they send another nun to their order soon. They need one."

"It can wait. I'll drop you off there after we finish and you can ride back with Josef when his shift ends. I don't need anymore humiliation in my house than I'm currently facing."

Ruth could choose to be offended by that statement, but she saw it for what it was, a desire to get out of the house and away from any more letters or visits as well as do something that made her feel she had a measure of control over something. "Sure thing, sister, if it's that important to you. Just let me a place of these fixings up to Kid and we'll be on our way."


	11. Chapter 11

Elizabeth took her to a store that Ruth had a bad feeling about before they ever entered the shop and her suspicion was confirmed when they went inside. The leather shoes looked very supple and very expensive. The whole store had the ambiance of the wealthy.

Ruth felt no shame as she informed her, "I can't afford shoes that cost more than 50 cents."

"I'll make up the difference," Elizabeth said with a flick of the wrist.

Ruth figured the woman had had enough trouble for one day, so she compliantly sat down on one of the plush, clawed chairs as they waited for the shopkeeper to get to them. He was busy with another lady at the moment.

She undid the lace on her right shoe herself. Elizabeth sent a disapproving glance, her favorite expression it seemed, but she wasn't going to sit there while a man, who wasn't her husband, did a task that she was perfectly capable of herself. That was more unseemly to her way of thinking than doing work in the view of others. How anyone kept up with all these unspoken rules of society, Ruth hadn't a clue.

"What are you looking for today, ma'am?" the shopkeeper asked Ruth when he came over to them.

"Just some good, sensible shoes that will hold up well under a lot of travel," Ruth answered.

"But nice-looking too," Elizabeth added.

The man only had to take a quick look at her stocking clad foot before he came back with some black-leather boots. Fortunately, her feet were neither unusually large or unusually small, so there was a readymade pair in her size.

The shoes were 4.00. For that price, they should hold up under travel, but Elizabeth didn't even blink as she handed over the 3.50 part of it.

"I feel as if everyone is looking at me, talking about me," Elizabeth muttered once they were back out on the street among the throng of people.

Ruth didn't know if it was comment meant for herself or if she was talking to her, but she answered anyway, "It's bound to feel that way, but it ain't true and even if it were, no sense in worrying about it."

"What no verse for my situation?" she said with sarcasm.

"James is a good book to read for how to handle wagging tongues, but I'll give you a verse out of it if that's what you want." She had flipped in her Bible to said book and read, " 'Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.'"

"And that's supposed to make me feel better? It doesn't make experiencing it any easier."

"It's themselves they hurt most by their words. The sin is not just against you but His Word and so against God Himself and He will take care of it. Your job is to love and pray for them looking down on you and for the instigator of this, to be a simple doer of the law and He will comfort you in your trial."

"Sound advice, I suppose," she said, climbing into the waiting carriage.

"Not my advice. Scripture," Ruth said, climbing in after her.

"Maybe I will give James a look," Elizabeth said thoughtfully. "After all, where else do I have to turn right now?"

"No better place you can turn to," Ruth agreed.

The hospital wasn't far from the shop and they were there in just a few minutes.

Ruth left the new shoes boxed up in the carriage as there was no point in soiling her new shoes, not to mention she would have to break them in. Her feet would be blistered if she wore the new ones for 8 hours while she walked all over the place.

The nurse, whose place she was taking, worked in the influenza ward, so she found her self directly among the test subjects. Josef hadn't told her of the results of their experiment so far. He said it might affect the way she prayed.

A girl who looked to be no older than 7 moaned with fever. She was almost birdlike with little more than skin on her bones. Was she in the group that was being prayed for or the group that wasn't? That question stopped Sister Ruth in her tracks.

The nun noticed where attention was and made the sign of the cross. "She's in the protection of the Holy Mother now. We've done everything we can do."

"Her family? Where are they?"

"Whether she lives or dies, they must keep working. They stop by for a few minutes after work when they can, but they have many more mouths to feed and care for at home. If you don't mind, I'm about to fall down from exhaustion."

"Oh, of course. Go, I can take care of things here."

The nun gave her a thankful, tired smile and then went to turn in. There was probably a cot hidden somewhere in the hospital for such cases because she didn't look as if she could walk back to wherever the convent was located.

Ruth knew she had other tasks to be at, Mother Superior had given her a list, but this small girl tugged at her heartstrings. She sat down by her bedside and wiped her fevered brow with a cool, wet cloth sitting in the bowl that on the table by the bedside. She was so hot to the touch. If her temperature didn't come down soon, she would be gone. The fever would take her. In that moment, Ruth was convicted.

She was using God, using prayer, in the wrong manner as if He were a machine and a person could spit out a prayer and get immediate results just the way they put it in. They might as well have been using praying parrots in this study, the results would be just the same. This experiment of theirs wasn't having a right heart for prayer, the right attitude, as their motive wasn't to see healings as much as it was to prove something to the other doctors.

She just didn't see how God could bless it. They'd thought the motive right, but withholding prayer from those who needed it wasn't right. She should be praying for all the patients, their families, their caregivers; they all needed to lifted up in prayer. Prayer wasn't about having God conform to her will; it was about conforming to God's will.

"Forgive me, Father. Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me." She said, praying the prayer of David.

She started by praying for the little girl and she praised God when she felt the child's skin cool under her fingers.

Ruth filled a cup of water and went around making sure those who were conscience enough took some sips. It was important to make sure they stayed hydrated. As she gave them water, she also gave them prayers. Not all received such immediate healing as the girl had, but she prayed just the same.


	12. Chapter 12

Ruth explained what she had done to Josef at the end of the shift. How she had prayed for them all.

He looked disappointed but not angry. "This could have turned the medical field on its heels. I was getting some positive, scientific results."

"Maybe you were and maybe you weren't, but does faith need the proof you're after when you get right down to it? Isn't trusting that God is good, believing that He has the answers when we don't, enough? Oh, He helps doubters out like Thomas, but if we ain't careful, pursuits like these can take the focus off the big picture. This is where the answers we need to know are," she said, indicating her Bible. "About faith healing and a host of other things."

"Convincing words and I believe what you're saying, but I don't know that it's going to hold water with the other doctors."

"Well, we got some time to think on it. There must be another way to get through to them without abusing prayer. Having facts is one thing but not at the sacrifice of faith and the suffering of the patients."

sss

Josef did think on it. About other ways to scientifically prove this type of healing. He thought over the next couple of days but nothing seemed to be jumping out at him.

He was reading a book about recent scientific pursuits and experiments on one particular evening, hoping to spark an idea, when he was interrupted by some kind of commotion out on the street.

"What in the world?" he said out loud, going to the window to see what it was.

Elizabeth was embroidering, Ruth was knitting, and Kid had been sharpening his pocket knife, but he came over and joined him at the window.

A mob had gathered in front of the townhouse, made up of mostly drunk men from the looks of it. No doubt born of a careless comment that had been hatched and grown in some dimly lit bar while they sat nursing their beers.

"Go back to Ireland where you belong, lady!" shouted one man.

Elizabeth paled, dropping her needle somewhere on the floor.

"No papist is going to live high on Beacon Hill while we rot in hovels!" shouted another.

"You can tell that pope of yours he's not going to tell us what to do. We're Americans!" cried another.

Josef had underestimated the hatred for Irish Catholics in Boston. Maybe they all had. He called for staff. He told Harrison to make sure all the windows and doors were locked and Martha's instructions were to go upstairs and watch over the girls, who were already in bed, but who'd probably been woken by the drunken cries.

"And bring me my gun," Kid added to Harrison.

Harrison complied with the request without even waiting for his employers' leave, but Elizabeth didn't protest him getting the gun, which showed the depth of her fright.

But when he had the gun, Josef told Kid, "This isn't a frontier town without any law enforcement around. You must go for the police. They will handle this."

"They're not doing a very good job if they didn't see an angry mob making their way to one of the richest sections of the city, but I'll go find a cop. Bound to be one patrolling the area. I just want protection when I do, in case the mob sees me. Do you have another gun?"

"Yes, I have one that belonged to my grandfather, but I keep it for sentimental reasons, not because I know how to use it."

"Give it to Sister Ruth," Kid instructed. "She knows how to use it and she's a good shot. Hopefully, it won't come to that, but it never hurts to be prepared for the worst."

Ruth sighed as Josef went and got it. She didn't want to use it. She wouldn't have taken it at all if not for the sake of the children. The parts didn't move very easily from years of disuse, but she got a bullet loaded in it anyway.

Elizabeth watched her with macabre interest. Then she asked, "What do you do, hold a gun on people until they convert?"

Ruth grinned in spite of the humorless situation they found themselves in. "If only it were that easy."

"I don't think they plan on murdering anybody," Kid said to them. "They just seem to be just letting off some steam, but be wary and if ya'll feel you need to escape like they start threatening to burn the house down, then go to a neighbor's house. Your house isn't worth losing your lives over."

Kid snuck out the back door under the cover of darkness and Sister Ruth's prayers, remaining unseen by the rabble-rousers.

"Maybe you ought to go sit with the girls too," Ruth suggested to Elizabeth, who remained frozen in her chair but looking as if she desperately needed something to do. "I'm sure they could use their mother's comfort. Might make things easier down here too. If they catch sight of you through the window, it could make them even rowdier."

Elizabeth nodded, seeing the wisdom in it and went to do so.

Ruth prayed nonstop even as she watched the mob.

"There's propaganda circling around Charleston from some Protestant girl who attended the Catholic school there. She claims the girls there are forced into becoming nuns," Josef said. "And there's all kinds of rumors about papist plots, murders, and, uh, other illicit activities. It's bound to get people stirred up."

"Hatred generally breeds violence. Ain't no good can come from it."

Eventually 2 policemen arrived on the scene with Kid in tow. They were easily outnumbered by the 13 gathered men, but the badges were enough to calm the mob. They certainly didn't want any trouble with the law; they had families to care for. They immediately dispersed after a short chastisement from the officers.

"Oh, thank God," Ruth said, straight away unloading the gun in her hand and giving it back to Josef.

"Thank your husband too. He's a handy man to have in an emergency."

She agreed with a nod. "He's a blessing for sure."

"I hope this is an end of the matter," Josef said anxiously.

"Me too, brother, me too."


	13. Chapter 13

The morning brought light, but it didn't reach to their dark circumstances. Josef and Elizabeth spoke in the privacy of their room.

"I don't worry for myself so much, but I fear for you and the girls," Josef said. "This whole thing is more serious than I thought. Maybe it's time you all took a trip. Went down to New York or Philadelphia until it does blow over."

"No, I will not be run out of my home like a common criminal. Besides, is the love for Irish Catholics any better in those places?"

"Probably not." He'd always admired her strength of character, even her stubbornness, but those traits weren't serving him well at the moment.

"And I couldn't relax knowing you were still here in Boston. They clearly know where we live. What if they come back and decide to target you? Are you able to get away from the hospital to go with us?"

"Not at the moment, no." He could see by the set of her jaw and the folding of her arms, she wasn't bending on the matter and it would be useless to argue further. Not unless he could go with them and he couldn't.

"Then we are staying here. End of discussion."

"We'll need to be extra vigilant," he warned.

"Yes, Rebecca can't attend any more parties." This seemed to physically hurt her to admit. "I suppose there's always next season."

"No casual shopping trips or walks through the park either. No social calls. Not for the girls and not for you. At least, not without me being there or someone who can watch out for you."

"So I'm a prisoner in my own home? Oh, if I had the blackguard that started this, I'd see that he was horsewhipped," Elizabeth muttered.

"It's just for a little while. At least through the summer. Hopefully, the fervor will have died down by then."

sss

It wasn't even midday before Elizabeth began to feel caged in, not that she'd been planning on going anywhere. It was more the thought that she couldn't. Josef was working at the hospital. She'd embroidered for a little while, but now she was walking the floors, barking orders at the staff unnecessarily as they already knew their duties and did them well.

Sister Ruth and Kid Cole were keeping the three youngest girls entertained. Rebecca and Claudette were entertaining themselves in their rooms. All of her daughters were keeping a stiff upper lip about the whole matter. As brave about it as any soldiers could have been, but she knew they were all still shaken up by the experience each in their own ways. Michaela, of course, only feeling the tension of the situation.

She went to check on them and she heard a guitar playing. She saw through the open door that Kid was singing them a little children's ballad.

"There was an old farmer in Sussex did dwell  
There was an old farmer in Sussex did dwell,|  
And he had a bad wife, as many knew well

Then Satan came to the old man at the plough:  
'One of your family I must have now.  
'It is not your eldest son that I crave,  
But it is your old wife, and she I will have.'  
'O welcome, good Satan, with all my heart!  
I hope you and she will never more part.'

Now Satan has got the old wife on his back,  
And he lugged her along, like a peddler's pack.  
He trudged away till they came to his hall-gate;  
Says he, 'Here, take in an old Sussex chap's mate.'

O then she did kick the young imps about;  
Says one to the other, Let's try turn her out.  
She spied thirteen imps all dancing in chains,  
She up with her pattens and beat out their brains.  
She knocked the old Satan against the wall!  
'Let's turn her out, or she'll murder us all.'

Now he's bundled her up on his back again,  
And to her old husband he took her again.  
'I have been a tormentor the whole of my life,  
But I never was tormented so as with your wife.'"

"I hope that's not your opinion about me," Ruth said, laughing at the comical song. "Where'd you pick that up from?"

"It's a popular one. I've heard a lot of versions of it, but my daddy used to sing it though when he'd, uh," he noticed the girls listening to every word, "when he was feeling real good."

Ruth covered another laugh with a cough. A man getting drunk wasn't funny. It was just the way he said it.

"I imagine his family brought it over from England with them, considering it mentions Sussex."

"Can you sing another one?" Maureen asked. She suddenly realized her enthusiasm might have been a little too high for an uncultured folk song and she suddenly became interested in fiddling with the lacey frill on her skirt. "I mean if you want to."

It was Sister Ruth who noticed her standing in the doorway. "Come in and join us, sister."

Michaela also threw out an invitation, her arms thrust up toward her from Ruth's lap.

"No," she said. "It looks like the girls are staying well entertained. I have things that need doing."

Ruth passed Michaela to Maureen and followed her out. "Anything I can help you with?"

"No."

"I guess you heard Kid's little performance," she said, "Hope you didn't mind the song too much. It's just a silly, old thing."

"No, it's distracting them and it was amusing."

"You feeling a little stir-crazy, ain't you? It's certainly understandable."

Sister Ruth read people's feelings too well. It was annoying and a quality that Elizabeth lacked to a degree, which made it all the more annoying. "I suppose. I just wonder if there's any life left for us in Boston or if our good name is forever destroyed."

"You got to stop trying to matter so hard," Ruth advised.

"I beg your pardon?" What kind of advice was that, Elizabeth thought.

"You think you need a good name, money, and the like to matter, but you already matter. I already matter. Both down here and one day when we reach Glory. That's what God promises if we take up the cross and follow Him."

Elizabeth discreetly rolled her eyes, glad she had become a doctor's wife and not a minister's wife what with the constant preaching. And yet, a still small voice told her that His words should have been on her mind and on her lips as often as they were on Ruth's. In fact, had she wanted to ask, she was sure that Sister Ruth could have told her where to find the verse that said as much.

"Well, I just wanted to make sure you're doing alright. You will let me know if you need anything, won't you?" Ruth asked.

"Yes," she said, more eager to be rid of her than seriously considering the offer. Why did this woman care about people she didn't know so much? She found that a little annoying as well.

Alone again, Elizabeth pulled a Bible off the shelf, its pages dusty from neglect. She finally sat down to read James. She shook her head in wonder when she read the second verse of the first chapter. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kind because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance."

Sister Ruth couldn't have pointed her to a more apt book if she'd tried, but then maybe God had had His hand in it too, tilling the soil of her soul, so that she would be ready to receive this message. And she would persevere; she would get stronger from this ordeal.


	14. Chapter 14

Kid had gone on a walk in hopes of releasing some of his restless energy. Ruth was reading a book on the life of Paul borrowed from the Quinn library. Elizabeth was writing, declining the few invitations that still trickled in.

The girls had finished their lessons for the day and were amusing themselves in the living room with them, all except Michaela who was upstairs napping. Rebecca sat with a book, Claudette with a fashion magazine, and Maureen with paper dolls. Marjorie was trying to take a paper doll from her.

"No, you'll rip its head off," Maureen said. "Just because you've torn all yours doesn't mean I'll allow you to play with mine."

Marjorie folded her arms in a huff. She saw the maid preparing to carry out the tea tray out from earlier that afternoon. "I want my dollie. Bring me my dollie now," she said in a petulant and demanding tone.

"Yes, miss," Bridget said with a little curtsy and hurried off to get it.

Ruth started to open her mouth to gently chastise the girl, but Elizabeth beat her to it. "Marjorie, have you ever seen me acting rude towards anyone?"

That was a loaded question, but Marjorie knew the right, if not totally true, answer, "No, Mother."

"Look up when I'm talking to you," Elizabeth ordered.

Marjorie obeyed, her eyes wide with trepidation, causing Elizabeth to soften just a little. Sometimes she had a tendency to forget that she was only 4. "I am direct, yes, but there's a fine line between staying in your proper roles and being unkind. You were being unkind."

"Yes, Mother."

"The servants offer us a service. That doesn't make them less of a person." She didn't look as if she were getting through to her. "Do you know your grandparents, who were both Catholics, came over from Ireland and they didn't have a penny to their names?"

All the girls looked up at this revelation.

This was astonishing news to Marjorie and Maureen, to think that anyone in her family had ever been poor.

Claudette gasped, realizing the full implication of them being Irish and Catholic. "Oh, no wonder those awful men were at our window. Oh, how will I ever be able to hold my head up in front of my friends again?"

Rebecca didn't look bothered, only interested to find out this piece of family history. She'd known that tiny bit from the paper, but she sensed more was coming.

"It's no reason to feel shame, Claudette," Elizabeth said. "They worked hard to establish their little fish market. And because of their hard work, they earned a decent profit. Not what you children are used to, but my brother and I never went hungry. And they scrimped and saved to make sure I was properly introduced to a man with a comfortable income, so don't ever let me catch you looking down on them even if is only on their memory."

Ruth gave her an approving nod. Truth brought freedom, and even now, she could see a change working in Elizabeth. One day the woman would look back and see it all for what it was, a chance to embrace her heritage and stop hiding from the past.

Elizabeth turned her attention back to Marjorie. "And when Bridget returns with your doll, you will tell her thank you and apologize for the rude way you asked."

Marjorie bowed her head in submission, "Yes, Mother."

The incident hadn't hurt Elizabeth's parenting skills either.

sss

"The staff meeting is the day after tomorrow," Josef said that evening when the adults sat down for some after-dinner conversation. "And we have little science to back up the claims."

"I know, brother," Ruth answered, "but I'm not worried about it. Just like He promised Moses, He will provide us the words to speak."

"Let's just hope you're not talking to a room full of pharaohs," Josef muttered.

She smiled. "Possible, but I don't think every doctor there is closed off to the idea."

"I suppose not." Josef got up to put the heavy, scientific tome that had been his bible these past few days back on the shelf. Eager to switch to some lighter reading, he picked out the _West-Eastern Divan, _a book that simply contained poetry and a saying from its author sprung to mind. "'Ignorant men raise questions that wise men answered a thousand years ago'," he quoted.

"Hmm, is that from the Bible?" Elizabeth asked.

"No, but maybe it's a reminder from God all the same." He looked at Sister Ruth. "The quote is from one of my favorite authors, Goethe. Maybe it is as you said, everything I want to know about proving faith and healing was, is, already within the Bible's pages. I've been asking questions that were already answered."

"Amen to that. 'Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.' He sees more clearly than we do, but the Lord doesn't mind when we ask questions and as long as we're really looking for the answers, they will be given to us. We just have to trust Him through it all."

"You have a verse for every occasion, don't you?" Elizabeth asked with bemusement.

"I don't-," began Sister Ruth.

"-but God does," Elizabeth finished for her. "I'm beginning to find that out."


	15. Chapter 15

Sister Ruth was at the hospital and was currently doing all she could to help a priest, who was dying from a long and intermittent fever brought on it seemed by an enlarged spleen. He'd been prescribed everything his doctor could prescribe that was supposed to help such a case from wine to opium, but he was fading fast.

In fact, he'd already been given last rites by a bishop. The bishop now hung back with the man's aging sister and brother at his side, all three watching as she prayed for and with him, asking if he believed in the power of Christ to heal. Although he did, the man still expired.

With one last prayer, she shut the eyes that were no longer seeing this world but a better one. He had gone onto his reward, leaving behind a congregation and his siblings to mourn.

"I'm very sorry I couldn't be of more help, ma'am, sir, Monsignor Reilly," Ruth said to them. "The sisters were telling me what a good man he was. How much he's done for the poor sections of Boston. But I know the angels and saints are rejoicing that he's among their number now."

The bishop nodded in appreciation of her words but looked as if he hadn't expected a Protestant woman from the mountains to be capable of working miracles, while the brother awkwardly held his crying sister.

Ruth left them to their grief and went to inform the doctor of his patient's passing.

News of the priest's death spread through the hospital and Josef found Dr. O'Neil waiting for him when he came out of the ward where folks were sick with influenza, all of whom were doing uncommonly well for flu patients.

Josef thought about turning to go the other way, but he'd already seen the man and Dr. O'Neil knew it.

"Well, Dr. Quinn, the meeting is tomorrow, 9:00 sharp," he said in a mocking tone. "Is your little faith healer up for the task of getting us to believe in the supernatural?"

"I believe she is," Josef answered with as much cheer as he could muster.

"Is that so? I heard a patient died today under her watch and that he was a priest. Who has more faith than a priest?"

"It only takes the faith of a mustard seed to be healed, at least according to Sister Ruth. And God is the one ultimately in control."

Dr. O'Neil scowled. His dislike for Sister Ruth had only seemed to deepen and grow despite her willingness to perform menial tasks for the nuns and her having stayed out of his way since she'd healed his patient. "You have spent too much time with the woman. It's clouded your ability to see the world."

"On the contrary, I think I'm seeing it better than ever. I've always considered myself a man of science, but there's been times when science has failed me. Now I see how critical it is to remember that I'm a man of faith foremost. I shall never treat another soul again without praying for them as well and praying for my own wisdom in diagnosing and prescribing cures. It has made me a better doctor already, I believe."

"Then I recommend you have your eyes or head examined," he quipped before turning around, the tails of his coat whipping with him and communicating his displeasure.

When Ruth and Josef were preparing to leave later, Mother Superior came up to her.

"I just want you to know that whatever happens tomorrow, I'm behind you," she said. "All the sisters are and we're praying for you. We've seen your work. Even if the majority of the doctors pretend not to see it. How they think they can explain how such a vast number of our patients' health has improved, I'll never know. I guess they think they've all suddenly become miracle workers."

"Thank you," Ruth said with a nod of gratitude. "That means a lot to me."

"And don't you worry any about Father Tracey. He wasn't healed because it was his time to go. God has gifted you with the power of healing and don't you forget it."

Ruth couldn't help but smile. You didn't argue with Mother Superior. "I won't."

It was a warm summer evening when they stepped out, but Ruth missed the sounds that let you know it like crickets and bullfrogs and owls.

"She's right you know and I now have the feeling that you are going to get through to most of the staff tomorrow," Josef said as confident as Mother Superior if not as forceful.

"What makes you say that?" she asked.

"Oh, just faith, I guess," he said with a smile.


	16. Chapter 16

The day of the meeting arrived and all the doctors and nurse sat at the long tables, chatting amongst themselves.

She was the first one on the agenda. "I'd like to start this meeting with prayer," she began.

They quieted down and everyone bowed their heads even Dr. O'Neil.

"Lord, we ask that You open our open our hearts to You, open our ears to the words that You would have us hear, and open our minds to other ways of thinking, ways that are still in accordance with Your glorious will. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen."

There were echoes of amen, especially among the nuns.

"I wasn't even sure what I was going to talk about, how I was going to explain what I do to you until last night. Dr. Quinn inspired me when he mentioned he knew today would go well because of faith and I thought to myself that's exactly right.

"I think I can safely say that most of us believe in the power of God. That's not what I'm here to prove today. It's faith some of ya'll are having trouble wrapping your minds around.

"What is faith? The Bible tells us that it's the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Dr. O'Neil interrupted with a scoff. "Is that what you came here to do? Quote scripture at us? We can crack Bibles open ourselves. If you haven't got anything better than that, you might as well sit down now."

"Maybe it'd be easier to understand if I started off by saying what faith is not. It is not human hope. Our hope can be born of wishful thinking or what we feel. Faith is built on the hope of Jesus Christ, on the solid, unchanging nature of His Word and promises."

"Amen, sister," Mother Superior said.

"Faith is not sight. For we are told that we walk by faith, not by sight. I don't know what's going to happen when I ask God to heal a body. I don't know what's going to happen when a person believes in Jesus' power to heal with all their might, but I have the faith that God's will is always done in all things.

"Faith is about not giving up. True faith will endure to the end of the age. If a patient ain't immediately healed, you keep praying with all you've got. God wants us to be persistent in our asking. You don't give up after the first dose, do you? No, you try again. Don't give up and dismiss God or faith cause you ain't getting immediate results.

"Faith is true and faith is powerful. Scripture tells us that we must approach God believing He is who He says He is and we must also believe that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

"I think most people have forgotten how to pray and practice faith. My job as a revivalist is to remind them and frequently that leads to healing, but it's something you can implement right here in your hospital. It ain't meant to be confined to a church or a revival.

"You all are in a special role. You know of ways to help that I never could. Things God gave you to help like skill and knowledge, but if you discount the Healer and where the healing comes from, you miss out on a lot of good you could be doing."

There was applause at the conclusion of her speech.

"Why don't we all just start wearing a habit and break out into a verse of Amazing Grace," Dr. O'Neil said. "You haven't done anything to prove your stance. Where's the results? The testimonies? You have nothing."

"I beg to differ," Josef said. He got up and went to door. He had foreseen this response from the doctor and had invited Mr. Harvey and a number of others who had experienced healing by faith to come speak, including Dr. O'Neil's former patient. They filed in and shared their stories one by one.

Dr. O'Neil's eyes got more and more crazed and his hair became a wild disarray as he continued to run his fingers through it in frustration during all the praise and firsthand accounts. "That's enough," he said finally.

It got real quiet; you could've heard a pin drop. "I see you're all falling under this spell. If we're going to go back to the dark ages around here, I obviously need to look for a new post." With those words, Dr. O'Neil stormed from the room.

"My intention was not to upset him but to help all of us become the best doctors and nurses we can be," Joseph said, addressing them all.

"Well, it looks as if there's a position to fill," said Mother Superior.

The board, conveniently gathered already for this meeting, took a vote and made the unanimous decision to vote Dr. Quinn in as the new chief of staff.

"I'm rather embarrassed about all this. It was really not my goal to run Dr. O'Neil off," he told Sister Ruth at the conclusion of the meeting.

"It ain't about us. It ain't even faith healing he's fighting; it's God Himself. He's a man in need of some prayer. But if you want my opinion, they picked the right man for the job. You're a people person. You'll manage everyone on the staff well. And you're open to new ideas if it improves your patients' health."

"Thank you. I hope you'll stick around Boston a little longer to help me implement some changes at the hospital."

"Be glad to," she told him with a smile.


	17. Chapter 17

Ruth told Kid the outcome of the staff meeting up in their room.

"I should've asked you before I agreed to stay a little longer," Ruth said. "I know you've about had your fill of Boston."

"I can stand it a little longer. I been keeping occupied trying to hunt down Mrs. Quinn's necklace. I know she's kind of come to terms about her heritage, but it seemed like it had some sentimental value."

"Any luck?"

"Those people at the paper are as tightlipped as they come. I even offered them a story, an interview with Kid Cole, but I don't think they believe I am who I say I am. I got another lead I'm working on though."

"Have I ever told you how much I appreciate you a letting me continue in the Lord's work?"

"All the time," he said with a small smile. He didn't care what those men had said about him not being a real man because he followed his wife's work around, it suited him. Besides, he didn't follow Ruth around so much as they followed the Lord around.

"Well, maybe I can show you my appreciation instead," she said. She began undoing the row of buttons at the front of her blouse.

"Yes, ma'am. I believe you can," he said with a full grin.

sss

A few days later and even this short lapse of time proved to mark a huge improvement in the hospital. The other doctors were more cheerful and pleasant under Josef's leadership but then maybe that also had to do with the fact that the head of their hospital had really become Jesus Christ. The patients seemed to do better as well as the medical staff was now thinking of a person's whole health: mind, body, and spirit.

Josef had two young interns with him, showing them around the hospital. "We're doing things a little differently than you may have learned in medical school. We're making God our foundation for the healing process."

"What's that mean?" one of the interns asked, looking at him like he was a crazy person.

"Well, it manifests itself in a lot of ways, but one of the most notable things that makes us different from a regular hospital is that we ask our patients if we can pray for them, with them."

"What if they say no?" asked the skeptical intern, a tall man with a light blonde mustache.

"We pray for them less publicly on our own time, but most say yes. Will you pray with me now?"

They bowed their heads.

"We pray, Lord, You heal the bodies of those under our care. Give use the discernment to properly diagnose and treat them. Let them know how much You love and care for them. Amen."

Josef then lead them down the hall to a certain room. He didn't go into the room yet but stood with them in the doorway. "I assume you know what the folks in this ward have."

"The rashes clearly indicates smallpox," said the heavyset intern with the slicked black hair.

"Yes," the other agreed, "since there are so many marks on their limbs."

Not everyone had yet reached the marking stage, but they were all in various stages of the illness.

"Very good. I also assume you both have been vaccinated against it. I know there are some states that don't require it like Massachusetts does."

They both assented that they had and they went further inside the room.

A nun was praying out loud at someone's bedside, "Omnipotent and eternal God, the everlasting Salvation of those who believe, hear us on behalf of Thy sick servant, Patrick Sullivan, for whom we beg the aid of Thy pitying mercy, that, with his bodily health restored, he may give thanks to Thee in Thy church. Through Christ our Lord. Amen."

"Thank you, sister," the man got out in a raspy voice.

Josef lead them to one patient in particular. "As you well know, there are complications associated with smallpox."

"His eyes are enflamed," said the tall intern.

"He may lose his vision," the heavyset intern predicted.

"Remember, sirs, that we are no longer in the classroom and that it not generally acceptable to discuss negative outcomes in front of the patient, giving no thought to how they take the news. Remember they're a person and not a case. Fortunately, Mr. Sanders has already been informed of such a possibility. Ah, just the person I needed to see." More loudly, he called, "Sister Ruth, will you come and see if there is anything else that can be done for Mr. Sanders?"

"Surely," she said, making her way over.

"Is she a nurse here?" asked the dark-haired intern.

"It is indisputable that what this man needs is a doctor," said the blonde one.

"Sometimes. Sometimes not," Dr. Quinn said mysteriously.

"Hello, brother. How are you feeling?" Ruth asked the patient.

"Better in some ways, but my vision is blurred," he answered.

"Notice how she started with a friendly remark to put him at ease and learned more of his condition in the process," Josef commented quietly to the interns.

"Do you wish to be healed?" she asked.

The interns' eyebrows both furrowed and their heads cocked at the unorthodox question even as the man nodded.

"Do you believe in the power of the Lord Jesus Christ to heal you?" she asked.

"I do."

"Then have faith and believe on Him. The Lord will raise you up," she said, laying her hands on his face.

He closed his eyes and when he opened them, they were clear.

The interns were dumbstruck.

"I don't believe it. I see it, but I don't believe it," said the black-headed intern.

"What kind of trick was that?" asked the other.

"No trick. Just the power of faith and prayer," Josef said. "Science has its place too, of course. Not all patients are ready for or need such healing. Now come and I will show you our children's ward."

sss

That evening, Sister Ruth sat with the Quinns as they pursued their various leisure pursuits and she mentioned, "I was just thinking Kid and I've about wore out our welcome."

"Not at all," Elizabeth said such a different attitude from her original. "I hardly even know your husband's here during the day."

"Probably cause he ain't. He's never been one to stay indoors a whole lot."

"And you've been a big help at the hospital," Josef told her.

"Well, thank you, but now that they got that new sister, so I'm not quite as critical with the nursing side of things and you got the faith side of your hospital well under control. I expect it'll become the top hospital in Boston before long with the good Lord's blessing, but there are folks out west with no hospitals to go to or even a doctor or preacher and I feel it's time we was heading back that way. I will miss your girls though," Ruth said a trifle longingly. How she wanted a houseful, or a wagonful, of kids.

She watched the two youngest sisters playing. Marjorie was trying to show Michaela how to curtsey.

"Not like that, Michaela, like this," Marjorie said becoming impatient as she redemonstrated the move and then tried to move her sister's feet to the proper position.

"No!" Michaela declared, the toddler's new favorite word in her limited vocabulary.

"I think Mike's a little young for curtseying," Rebecca said, scooping the tot up before a fight broke out between the two stubborn, warring wills.

The door to the parlor suddenly swung open so hard it hit the wall. Fortunately for Elizabeth's peace of mind, it didn't damage the wall.

"What in heavens name?" Elizabeth cried.

She'd barely gotten the words out when Kid pushed a couple about Elizabeth and Josef's age in front of them. Their clothes were filthy and worn. The man and woman looked spitting mad and were definitely not there by choice.

"Meet the Dalys," Kid said by way of introduction. "I think they have something that belongs to you."


	18. Chapter 18

"Maybe this isn't a conversation for tender ears," Josef said to Rebecca.

Rebecca nodded, taking the hint, and ushered her sisters from the room. Kid allowed them a wide berth by pulling the couple over against the wall away from the door.

The children gone, Kid held up the golden pendant. "This is your necklace, ain't it?"

Josef went over and got it and took it over to Elizabeth, so she could examine it closer.

"Most definitely," she agreed. "I remember the scratch here."

"That would make you thieves then, Mr. Daley. Mrs. Daley," Kid said. "As I thought."

"We didn't hawk it. We just wanted to knock the fine lady off her horse. That's not thievery," Mr. Daley argued.

"I should say not," Mrs. Daley agreed, "and I didn't break nor enter either. I was invited in here, I was, to work."

They both spoke with heavy Irish brogues.

"I know you," Elizabeth said suddenly. "I know you both."

"She knows us she says," Mrs. Daley said to her husband. "Aren't we honored? We'd begun to think you'd forgotten where you come from."

"Yes, you ought to remember us unless you've totally erased your childhood from mind," he added with a sneer of disgust.

"I played with them as children," Elizabeth explained to Josef. "But I don't understand, we haven't seen each other in years and I don't remember there being any enmity between us."

Owen looked around the room, soaking it all in. "What a perfect little life you have here. Eileen told me, but now I can see it with me own eyes. I wouldn't begrudge ye your wealth so much if you didn't so completely forget your roots."

"I have never forgotten. I employ Irish maids," Elizabeth said.

"Well, bully for you. I filled in for Bridget downstairs as one friend to another and I heard the servants talking. Ye don't go out of your way to help them or to get to know them. We seen you appearing in the society page with your eldest daughter out like you was some well-to-do blueblood. It just made us so mad as you deserve none of it."

"Aye, and no mention of ye own parents, who slaved to get you where you are today," Owen added.

"We knew you had to have kept something from your old life. That pretty necklace of your grandmother's was all we needed to prove to the paper that we were not making it up. It was an inconvenience that it was hanging around your neck, but you didn't even notice me unhooking your necklace as I cut the cake. It fell to the ground and I picked it up at the first opportunity and slipped out of the house afterwards as pretty as you please."

"I thank you both. You two did me a favor," Elizabeth said. "Though I can't approve of your means. I learned who my real friends were and I no longer live a lie though I'm Episcopalian because I want to be and consider myself American first. But no longer will I deny where I came from."

They both were rendered speechless. It's not what they'd been expecting.

"Isn't that what you wanted? For me to see the error of my ways?" Elizabeth asked.

"No, what they wanted was to see you brought down to their level again." Kid looked hard at the Daleys. "I've went up against your kind before; folks who can never get ahead themselves and you envy those who do so much that you decide you'll work against them. If you can put this much time and effort into breaking the law, not that I'm saying this city makes it easy for you, you can surely do better. Maybe cooling your heels for a little while will you help you two to see the errors of your ways."

"You are no copper. You've no right to hold us," Mrs. Daley spat venomously.

"Well, let's just mosey on down to the police station and see if they agree with you. Ever heard of a citizen's arrest?" Kid asked.

"If you can get us there," Mr. Daley said.

"Oh, I can get you there," Kid said, reminding them of the gun under his jacket. "The same way I got you here."

Knowing when they were licked, they sullenly headed towards the door.

"I'll be praying," Ruth said. Whether it was for the Daleys or Kid or all of the above

she didn't say as she got right down to praying, but Elizabeth and Josef, having come to know Sister Ruth, figured it was all of the above and joined her in her prayers.

The adults were waiting for the rest of the story when Kid returned alone.

"How ever did you find them?" Josef wanted to know. "I believe we're all dying to know."

He shrugged modestly. "They're not the first I've tracked. I knew it was someone who most likely bore her a personal grudge as it didn't seem any effort had been made to pawn the necklace, and there was a good deal more expensive jewelry at the party. And to top that off, a genuine blackmailer would have tried harder to get the money and only one weak effort was made."

"I wish I could say there were few who bore me a grudge," Elizabeth said, "but I'm afraid I haven't always been considerate of other's feelings. I've slighted people when I felt it necessary. I still don't see how did it lead you to them, however."

"Well, it had to be someone at the party as that's when it went missing. I tracked down every person on your guest list and came up empty-handed. I knew you had already searched your servants' rooms, but after questioning your help, I finally learned about Eileen. Bridget had been too sick to serve and recommended Eileen."

"I didn't even pay any attention to there being a new servant at the party. Why didn't Harrison or Martha inform us of this?" Elizabeth asked, her cheeks flamed in anger.

"They were reluctant with the information because Bridget is so close to having saved up enough for her mother," Kid said, "they didn't want to spoil it for her by causing her to lose her situation. I told them if she was dismissed, Sister Ruth and I would find her another job."

"We can show mercy to her for her dishonesty, can't we, my dear?" Josef asked. "After all, she didn't know what Mrs. Daley intended and she isn't that much older than Rebecca."

"I suppose," Elizabeth agreed, "but you can expect she will be in for a very severe lecture on honesty, the entire staff will."

Josef turned his attention back to Kid. "I surmise Bridget was able to tell you where they lived?"

"She did, but they'd moved. I had to work it out of a neighbor where their new place was and when I found them, I brought them straight here, under protest as you saw for yourselves. I found the necklace in a place of honor on their mantle top. I think they though of it as a trophy of sorts."

"Fascinating," Josef praised. "You make a first-rate bounty hunter or a detective. Your draw is not the only quick thing about you, you've got a mind to match."

"I misjudged you both, Mr. Cole, Mrs. Cole. I'm not too proud to say it," Elizabeth said. "Maybe in the future I won't be as quick to jump to conclusions about a person's character based on where they're from or their manner of dress."


	19. Chapter 19

Kid Cole and Sister Ruth were ready to head west again and were saying a final goodbye to the Quinn family.

At the beginning, Elizabeth never would've allowed their unsightly wagon to sit in front of her house, drawing unwanted attention from the neighbors. Now she was rather sorry to see it go.

The Coles passed hugs out to all the girls except Claudette and Maureen who felt they were much too old and proper for such things.

"Bye-bye," Mike said awkwardly but adorably flapping her hand.

"Bye-bye, honey," Ruth returned and Kid rumpled the baby's soft brown curls.

They shook hands with Josef and Elizabeth.

"I would like to make a contribution to your cause. I have a large sum of money in this bag," she said, handing Ruth a small, velvet bag. "I know you will find a way to use it for the building up of God's kingdom."

"That's so sweet, but you don't have to do that." She'd already given her the altered dresses and shoes, not to mention housing them these few weeks. She didn't feel right taking more.

"No, we insist," Josef said. "You have done so much more for us than mere money can ever express: bringing faith to the hospital, getting Elizabeth's necklace back, being friends and helps during the difficult time that article caused."

"But it's still too much," Ruth argued. "You've more than returned the favor."

"Don't rob us of God's blessing," Elizabeth chastised, "by not allowing us to give."

"I suppose when you put it that way, how can I refuse, sister?" Ruth asked.

"Indeed, sister," Elizabeth said, using the familial term for the first time.

_Present Day_

Ruth watched and prayed as Kid coughed hard into his handkerchief. His coughing usually got better once they hit Colorado, at least temporarily, because of the high elevation, but it wasn't helping much at this moment. She hoped the sea air would provide more relief.

She hated to leave him, fearing another attack would come, but she said, "I'll go see if I can hunt you down some hot tea. That should help."

He was too wore out to talk, he only nodded, which spurred her into action. It didn't take long to find the porter. She explained the situation and he promised to find some.

"Yes, ma'am, I'll fetch it to your husband directly."

As she turned to go back, and she caught sight of the young woman from earlier out of the corner of her eye.

"I thought you might not have really got off and just changed cars. Where you headed?" Ruth asked her with a friendly attitude, holding no begrudgement.

The young woman looked a little embarrassed at first but quickly recovered her haughtiness. "Not that it's any of your business but Colorado Springs. I have family there. Mother says that I'm making a big mistake in my preferred suitor and she wants me as far away from the young man as she can. Even though she's never been out in this miserable part of the country herself." More to herself, she mumbled, "It was all grandmother's idea, I know it."

"Aww, it's pretty tame these days out this way anyway. You won't find it so miserable. You should've seen Colorado about 40 years ago or even 20. I'm Ruth Cole by the way. You can call me Sister Ruth."

"I'm Eleanor Flynn," she returned most reluctantly.

"Maybe I know your aunt. I've spent some time in Colorado Springs."

"Micheala Quinn."

"Ah, Dr. Mike? I know her well and your uncle and cousins too. Nice people. You'll enjoy your time there."

"Yes, I believe that is what she's called, but I only know her as Aunt Michaela. My mother is Maureen Flynn of the Boston Quinns." The tone said she should have known her mother.

"I wouldn't go tossing names about. It might make a difference in Boston, but it don't mean much to people out here," Ruth advised.

"As if I want to fit in with those people."

Sister Ruth had never met any other Quinn but Michaela and Katie, but from what she'd heard, this child definitely belonged to the family. "I'd be surprised if you're not singing a different tune once you get to know them. I wish I could talk with you more, but my husband's feeling a mite poorly. Unless you'd like to come back with me. There's still room for you."

Eleanor stood up and followed. It must have been knowing she knew her aunt. Ruth smiled to herself because behind the young woman's bravado it was plain to see she was a little frightened about being so far from home.

Colorado Springs was only an hour away, but the time was wiled away through talking.

"I hope she's waiting on me," Eleanor said, peering out the window as they drew near. "It would be so terrible being alone in an unfamiliar town."

"You ain't got nothing to fear. Somebody will be there to get you, but if it makes you feel better. We'll get off with you," Ruth offered.

She didn't say thank you, but relief seeped into her body.

They only had a couple minutes as the train stopped only long enough to let those who needed off, off, and those who needed on, on.

"Eleanor, my how you've grown," Michaela said upon seeing her niece. Then she gasped and smiled when she saw the Coles. "I wasn't expecting you two. Is this a visit?"

"Afraid not," Ruth answered. "We met your niece on the train, so knowing you'd be here to pick her up, we thought we might as well say a quick hello before we pass through."

"I'm glad you did. Forgive me for saying so, but you don't look well," she said to Kid.

"Just need a good, fresh breeze and I'll be right as rain again," he said, shrugging her doctorly concern off.

"How's the baby getting along?" Ruth asked.

"Walking now."

"My, my, how time flies," Ruth said.

"Has everyone forgotten I'm here?" Eleanor asked, sounding the typical teenager despite her fine breeding.

"Not at all," Michaela assured her. "I know all about what happened between your mother and grandmother's letter. And I will tell you what your grandfather would have told you, what is meant to be will be. God knows what He's got in mind. If your young man is the one, it will happen."

"I don't remember Grandfather being particularly religious," remarked Eleanor.

"Oh, but he was. He helped me greatly the first time I lost a patient by reminding me that the power of life and death is in God's hands alone or I'd have probably given up doctoring right then and there. That's always been a hard thing for me to accept, but I'm better about it than I used to be."

"I think I would've liked your father," Ruth commented. The train blast signaled their time was up.

"Trains and their schedules," Kid muttered. "We better get on it though before we find ourselves wintering in Colorado. We'll visit a little longer in the spring," he promised.

Kid and Ruth hugged Michaela goodbye and got on the train.

The End


End file.
